Quest
by Dreamin
Summary: Sherlolly AU: Sherlock and Molly prepare for the future while Myrddin's past and present collide. Part 4 of the Incubus!Sherlock series, sequel to Seeing the Light.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This starts just days after Seeing the Light ends. I'd love any feedback you can give, especially questions. If anything's not clear, please let me know.

* * *

The angel known as Anthea kept her eyes on the panel of nine Elder angels, determinedly avoiding the gaze of her former employer despite how hard he was trying wordlessly to get her attention. Shortly thereafter, Lady Elizabeth, head of Council of Elders, declared Mycroft guilty of deception, pride, and other conduct unbecoming of an angel. She then said that his sentence would be decided at a later time and dismissed the court.

No one in the courtroom, not even Mycroft himself, was surprised at the verdict, but the atmosphere was decidedly solemn – it was the first time in over a thousand years that an angel in good standing had been convicted of anything. Mycroft was led away and the other angels in the packed courtroom started to leave.

Anthea slumped in her seat with relief. _It's all over,_ she thought. _At least, my part is._ _I have so much to tell Myrddin._ She was so focused on thoughts of her fiancé that she didn't hear someone approach until they spoke up.

"Hello, Anthea," Lady Elizabeth said, smiling politely.

"Oh!" Anthea stood and curtsied. "My lady, I didn't see you there."

"It's alright. I wanted to tell you that I have approved your transfer to Earth. You can leave as soon as you're ready."

 _This is everything I wanted,_ Anthea thought, _but there must be a catch._ "My lady, I must tell you that I am engaged-"

"To the campion Myrddin Emrys," Lady Elizabeth said. "Yes, I am fully aware. I congratulate you, Anthea, but I must also caution you – the union of an angel and a campion is unprecedented. There is no telling what your children's natures or abilities will be."

Anthea blinked in surprise. "You're saying Myrddin and I shouldn't have children?"

"I'm saying that's what I would do in your situation. You and Myrddin must decide for yourselves."

"I understand. Myrddin and I have a lot to discuss."

Lady Elizabeth nodded. "You will, of course, conduct yourself appropriately. The last thing I want is to see you where Mycroft stood."

Anthea glanced at the place where Mycroft had heard the verdict then looked back at the Elder angel. "I will do all that Heaven expects of me, my lady."

* * *

Myrddin Emrys stood in his father and stepmother's kitchen, looking down at his nemesis. Said nemesis stared back up at him with unblinking yellow eyes.

"Devil," Myrddin said as patiently as he could, "we've been at this for two days now. I'm giving you one last chance then you're in the doghouse, got it?"

"Mrrr…" Devil replied.

"I'll take that as a yes."

He waved his hand and a ghostly green mouse appeared on the floor in front of Devil. When the half-grown cat started to bathe his face, the mouse started scurrying away. Devil continued to ignore it, washing his ear when he finished with his face.

Myrddin rolled his eyes and the mouse vanished. "In my time, cats earned their keep. It's a good thing this is a rodent-free building, you'd certainly be no help." He briefly considered letting Devil respond but decided against it. _The last time I let a neutered animal talk, all he did was complain._ Devil finished washing then rubbed against the wizard's ankles. Myrddin smiled a bit. "You're lucky you're cute."

Both wizard and cat looked up when they heard a knock on the front door. _Can't be Father and Molly, they have a key,_ Myrddin thought as he walked to the door. _Anyone else I know would've called or texted first._

Three feet from the door, he suddenly stopped. _I know that scent…_ His face lit up then he yanked open the door, grabbed his fiancée by the shoulders, and kissed her soundly.

Anthea clutched his arms as she kissed him back and when they both needed air, her smile was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. "Oh, Myrddin, I've missed you so much! I have so much to tell you!"

Myrddin grinned. "I've got a lot to tell you, baby, but before we say anything else, I have one question – are you back for good?"

"Yes!" Anthea said, beaming. "Lady Elizabeth, one of the Elder angels, approved my transfer."

"Thank God…" He hugged her tightly, burying his face in her hair. "I'm not letting you go again," he murmured.

"You won't have to," Anthea murmured, holding him just as tightly. "I'm yours for life." She pulled back after a moment and smiled at him. "I think we better go inside, we don't want the neighbors to see."

Myrddin smirked. "Actually, the neighbors are already watching."

"What?" Anthea turned to look at the door across the hall then turned back to him, confused. "No one's there."

"Father and Molly bought us that flat, furnished and everything." He laughed softly when she stared at him. "I've been waiting for you to come back so we can truly make it a home."

Her face lit up. "Oh, Myrddin!" She hugged him again. "You promised me you'd get your own place, now you have."

He chuckled. "With a little help from my father and stepmother."

"Are they on their honeymoon?"

"Yeah, they'll be home on Sunday. Molly asked me to cat-sit Devil," he grinned, "but I think he'll be fine by himself for a few hours."

Anthea couldn't help a giggle. "Alright, show me our new home."

"Gladly." Myrddin turned to the open door. "Behave yourself, Devil!" He closed the door and locked it with the key Molly had given him, then turned back to his fiancée. "Close your eyes, baby."

Anthea closed her eyes. Myrddin unlocked the door to their flat then opened it and turned back to her, gently taking her hand.

"Just a few steps," he murmured as he led her through the door.

She followed obediently, taking a few cautious steps before stopping just inside the flat. "May I look now?"

"Yes," Myrddin said.

Anthea opened her eyes and gasped softly. The flat had the same floorplan as Molly and Sherlock's and was decorated in earth tones. Anthea walked through the foyer and into the open sitting room/kitchen. She flopped onto the overstuffed dark brown sofa and grinned up at Myrddin when he stood over her, chuckling.

"I take it you approve," he said, grinning back at her.

"Mmm, yes." She held up her hands.

Myrddin took her hands and pulled her to her feet. "I have something for you." He pulled her ring out from underneath his t-shirt and the chain vanished. "I've been keeping it next to my heart since you left."

"I wanted so much to take it with me." She swallowed hard. "I didn't realize I couldn't until I tried to leave with it. Oh, Myrddin, I'm so sorry..."

"Baby, no, it's okay," he said quickly. "I realized it as soon as the ring hit the floor." He took her left hand and slid the ring onto her ring finger, then raised her hand to kiss her knuckles, his eyes on hers.

Anthea blushed, smiling softly. "I should have known you wouldn't think the worst."

Myrddin grinned. "I'll never think the worst about you. C'mon." He continued to hold her hand as he gave her a tour of the flat. When they reached the master suite, he noticed her reluctance to even enter the room. "I'm not going to start feeling you up as soon as we get anywhere near a bed, Anthea," he said gently. "I told you I'll wait and I meant it – we're not going beyond kissing until we're married."

She smiled weakly. "I know, and I trust you, Myrddin. It's myself I don't trust."

"Ah," Myrddin said, understanding. He grinned. "Don't worry, if you become overly amorous as soon as you see the bed, I'll do to you what I do to Devil when he misbehaves – squirt you with water."

Anthea laughed. "Fair enough." She followed him into the bedroom and her eyes lit up when she saw the bed. "Oh, Myrddin…"

He stood behind her and gently wrapped his arms around her waist, murmuring, "What can I say, I got rather attached to that bedspread." The bed was king size but the bedspread on it had the same swirling pattern as the one from Sherlock and Molly's guestroom. "I wanted our marital bed to remind us of where we started flirting."

"I think it's perfect," Anthea said softly. She leaned against him and covered his hands with hers, sighing contently. "I missed you so much. Seeing you, touching you, holding you. I was in Heaven but it didn't feel that way."

He chuckled. "So, you're saying without me, even Heaven is Hell?"

Anthea laughed softly. "Something like that." She turned to face him, her arms going around his waist. "I love you, Myrddin."

"I love you too." He softly kissed her forehead. "Last stop is the guestroom, that's where you're staying for now." He gazed at her, smiling a bit. "It'll be torture having you just down the hall, but I think I'll survive."

"It'll be worth the wait," she promised.

He grinned. "Of that, I have no doubt. C'mon." He took her hand again and lead her down the hall. "It's at the other end of the hallway from the master suite, so after the wedding, we'll still have privacy if we have any guests." He grinned at her, loving her blush. Myrddin finally took in her all-white attire. "Isn't that what you wore the day we met?"

Anthea looked down at herself then back at him, smiling weakly. "Yes. I don't have a lot of variety in Heaven."

Myrddin chuckled. "I guess you wouldn't need it. I took the liberty of putting away all your clothes so if you want to change, I can make lunch for us. What would you like?"

"Whatever you were going to have is fine."

"Leftover pizza it is."

Once they were settled at their kitchen peninsula, Myrddin grinned at his fiancée. "So, whose big news should go first?"

She grinned back. "You can go first. I love listening to you talk."

Myrddin chuckled then told her about the rehearsal, the wedding, the reception, and his attempts to train Devil.

Anthea laughed softly. "You're the most powerful wizard in history, by your own admission, yet you can't get a simple cat to listen to you?"

"Hey, that cat lives up to his name," Myrddin protested, grinning. "The search for Avalon is currently stalled and I needed something to keep me occupied while everyone's gone or working. Making a mouser out of Devil seemed like a good idea, but now I'm really starting to wonder." He reached across the peninsula to take her hand, smiling. "What's your news?"

Anthea's smile faded. "Mycroft was convicted of deception, pride, and other conduct unbecoming of an angel," she said quietly.

"Holy shit…" Myrddin muttered, staring at her.

"I had to testify against him, but after what he put us through, I was happy to do it."

He gently squeezed her hand. "You did the right thing, baby."

"Thank you. He will be sentenced as soon as the Council decides what is appropriate."

"How long does that take?"

Anthea sipped her water. "I have no idea, the last time an angel went on trial was long before I was created."

"What could they sentence him to?"

"Almost anything, it's whatever they feel best fits his crimes. I don't know if he did enough to be cast out of Heaven entirely, but it's a possibility."

"He deserves whatever sentence he gets," Myrddin said firmly. He then softened his tone. "Forget about him, Anthea. We never have to think about him again. You and I are going to show everyone we are happy and in love, and to Hell with anyone who doesn't like it."

"You can really do that?" she asked, amazed. "Do what you want without caring what other people think?"

Myrddin smiled a bit. "Some would consider that the ideal way to live." He took a bite of his pizza. "In my day, a man's reputation was everything, but the problem there is that not all reputations are accurate. The only opinions about you that matter are your own and those of the people you trust."

"Whose opinions matter to you, then?" she asked, smiling.

"You're at the top of the list," he said, smiling back. "Then Father, then Molly, then our friends. For the record, Mycroft's not even on the list."

Anthea nodded. "Mine's just like yours, with you at the top. I don't know what I'd do if I lost your good opinion of me."

Myrddin chuckled. "Well, considering the fact that I think you hung the moon, no worries there." He took out his mobile and started texting. "I'm letting everyone know you're back." Replies started coming within minutes. Myrddin grinned. "Everyone's happy for us." His grin faded as he read the latest reply.

 _12:34p Give Anthea a hug for me, on top of all the hugs you already have. ;) Any word on Mycroft? SD_

"Sally wants to know about Mycroft," he said, looking up at his fiancée. "What should I tell her?"

Anthea bit her lip. "Renatus thought it would be better not to tell her anything until it's all over."

"He's probably right," Myrddin said. He looked back at his phone and replied to Sally's text.

 _12:38p No news is good news, right? ME_

* * *

By the next day, Mycroft's fate had been decided. From his place before the panel of judges, Mycroft could see the nine Elder angels look down at him with expressions ranging from disappointment to disgust. He could feel the eyes of everyone else in the packed courtroom on his back.

 _Do not let them see your fear,_ he reminded himself. _No emotion._ He kept his expression neutral and his back ramrod straight, as usual.

"Mycroft," Lady Elizabeth said, "as punishment for your crimes, you are hereby sentenced to a year and a day on Earth in human form. When such time has passed, we will determine if you are fit to return. If you are found wanting, you will be condemned to Hell. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, my lady," he said quietly. The room was so silent that he knew his voice still carried.

"We have decided to be merciful and send you to London since you have family there. I can only hope that they will look past your faults and allow you to stay with them. If not, you will have a long sentence in front of you. Heed my advice, Mycroft – take a lesson from humans. They know what is necessary to function in a community."

"Yes, my lady."

Before he even had time to blink, Mycroft found himself in human form on a busy sidewalk. Completely disoriented, he looked around for something, anything that was familiar. Finding nothing, he started walking. If the humans around him noticed him at all, it was to give him odd looks. Mycroft couldn't understand the looks at first, then he realized that everyone was dressed in skirts and shorts, while he was still in his white three-piece suit, and the heat of the day was sweltering.

"Are you okay, sir?" a male voice asked. Mycroft turned to see a uniformed police officer looking at him with concern. "It's too hot to be out here in a suit. Are you lost?"

"I, er, yes, officer, thank you. I can't seem to find my brother's building."

"What's his address?"

"I, er, don't know it."

The officer raised an eyebrow. "Phone number?"

"I'm afraid I don't know that either."

"What do you know?"

The man's uniform gave Mycroft an idea. "Could you take me to Sgt. Sally Donovan, please?"

* * *

Sally Donovan was finishing a report at her desk when her mobile rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and pushed the button. "Yes?"

"Ma'am, this is Officer Whitley. I'm on Baker Street and I just found a man wandering around who says he knows you. I think he might be suffering from heatstroke – he's disoriented and probably overheating. I know I would be if I were in a three-piece suit on a day like this."

 _Three-piece suit? Wait a minute…_ "Is his name Mycroft Holmes?"

There was a pause on the other end. "Yes. Do you want me to drop him at the Yard?"

"I'd appreciate that, thank you, Whitley. Tell him I'll meet him outside the front doors."

"Will do."

Greg came over. "Did I just hear Mycroft's in town?"

Sally rolled her eyes. "Yes. God knows what's happened, but I'm sure Mycroft will tell me. Just glad he showed up at the end of my shift."

"And here I was about to ask you for some overtime." Greg laughed at her dirty look, holding up his hands. "Kidding! Have fun."

"Loads. See you." Sally grabbed her things and headed out the door. She noticed Mycroft immediately, standing with his back to the doors. Sally allowed herself a moment to admire his bum then she cleared her throat.

Mycroft startled a bit then turned around, relief filling his normally stoic face when his eyes landed on her. "Thank God, I thought perhaps you had abandoned me."

"Considering the shit you pulled, I probably should," Sally said, then she smiled slightly, "but I'm a sucker for emotionally-repressed men. C'mon, my car's this way."

* * *

"Mind telling me what you're doing back here now?" Sally asked after they got into her car. "Your timing's the pits, by the way – the wedding was three days ago."

"Believe me, I am not here voluntarily," Mycroft said quietly. He saw her stiffen but decided to ignore it. "I suppose Anthea told everyone of my conviction."

"What?!" Sally asked, shocked. "Nobody said anything about a conviction."

 _Why would Anthea keep it from everyone?_ Mycroft wondered. _Or perhaps she is only keeping it from Sally._ "I was found guilty of deception, pride, and other conduct unbecoming of an angel. As such, I have been sentenced to live a year and a day as a human."

"God help us," she muttered as they pulled out of the parking garage and into traffic. "What happens a year from tomorrow? You go back to Heaven?"

"If I am deemed worthy." He couldn't help the doubt creeping into his voice.

"And if you're not?"

"Then I will be condemned to Hell."

"Being a pompous ass who likes to interfere in people's lives is a ticket to Hell?" She smiled a bit. "Somebody better warn Parliament."

Mycroft rolled his eyes. "This is a serious matter, Sergeant."

She took one hand off the steering wheel and reached over to pat his thigh, her eyes still on the road. "I don't have faith in much these days, Mycroft, but I do have faith in your ability to accomplish whatever you set your oversized mind to."

Mycroft suppressed a shiver that her touch brought on then raised an eyebrow. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Sally stopped the car at a red light and turned to grin at him. "It was meant as one."

The light turned green and she turned back to the road before he had a chance to respond. _I did not, repeat,_ _ **did not**_ _just get lost in her eyes._ Mycroft cleared his throat. "I must prove to the Council of Elders that I have learned honesty, humility, and a willingness to cooperate."

"Well, then, Hell it is," Sally said, grinning wider.

Mycroft rolled his eyes. "I'm glad you find my predicament so amusing."

"Your own personality got you into this and you'll apparently need a personality transplant to get out of it." She smirked. "Funniest thing I've heard all day."

"Perhaps I can pretend to have 'reformed,'" Mycroft mused.

"Pretty sure they'll be looking for sincerity."

"I merely wanted to keep things as they were," he said quietly. "Is that so wrong?"

"Resisting change yourself isn't exactly healthy, but it's not wrong. What's wrong is not allowing other people to change. You could always get yourself another assistant, but Anthea was only going to find a love like that once."

Mycroft sniffed in derision. "Oversexed young men are quite common these days."

Sally smiled a bit. "Myrddin likes to flirt, that's for sure, but I've only seen him flirt with Anthea. He's completely devoted to her."

"Throwing away a perfectly good career-"

"Is her choice," Sally cut in. "She wants a husband and kids, the whole package."

Mycroft thought he detected a slight wistfulness in her tone. "You chose to pursue your career."

Sally smiled a bit. "Yeah, well, oversexed young men might be common, but decent guys certainly aren't – Anthea's lucky she found one who's both. But hey, I am open to any takers." She flashed him another grin.

Mycroft wasn't sure how to respond to that, so he just ignored it. He looked out the window, the scenery passing by still unfamiliar. "I supposed I should have asked this sooner – where are you taking me?"

"My place. I don't have a guestroom but it won't kill you to sleep on a couch for a couple of nights." When he raised an eyebrow, she added, "You're _persona non grata_ with your family right now. I say we give them a day or two to cool down then I'll take you to them."

"That's … very sensible of you."

She grinned. "I thought so."

* * *

 _Inviting the man you fancy to your flat is one thing,_ Sally thought nervously as they rode the elevator to the fifth floor, _actually having him in it is quite another._ _Why the hell didn't I think this through?_ Neither of them spoke as they walked down the hall. "This one," she told him, stopping in front of number twelve. She unlocked the door then held it open, smiling slightly. "After you."

Sally couldn't help wincing as Mycroft walked into her small flat and looked around. There wasn't even a proper foyer – the front door opened right into the sitting room. She groaned quietly as she remembered she hadn't put yesterday's clean laundry away, so there was a basket of assorted lingerie at one end of the sofa.

Mycroft raised an eyebrow at the basket and Sally would swear his cheeks turned pink, but he simply turned to her. "Charming." She honestly couldn't tell if he was being sincere or sarcastic.

"Um, right." Sally felt herself blushing. "Let me get that out of the way." She quickly grabbed the basket and took it to her bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Sally put the basket on the floor then pulled her mobile out of her pocket. _Molly's gonna kill me for calling her on her honeymoon but I've got no choice, she's the only one with experience in stuff like this._ She dialed Molly's number.

Molly answered on the first ring. "Sally? Is everything alright?" She sounded worried.

Sally was used to people sounding that way when she called – occupational hazard. "Hi, Molly. Everything's fine," she assured her. "Well, one thing isn't, but it's not job-related."

"Okay," Molly said, her voice much more relaxed, "what's wrong?"

"Mycroft's here. And by 'here,' I mean my flat."

"What? Why?"

"He basically said he was convicted of being himself and sentenced to live as one of us mere mortals for a year and a day."

"And he ended up at your place?" Molly sounded highly amused. "Are you sharing the bed?"

Sally groaned quietly. "Really shouldn't have told you about my fantasies. I gave him the sofa."

"Are you going to let him stay with you the entire time?"

"God, no, I don't have nearly enough willpower for that. Taking him to your building tomorrow, I'm hoping Myrddin and Anthea will take him in."

"I … doubt that'll happen." There was a long pause. "Sherlock doesn't want him in our flat either and I hate to be so inhospitable, but I have to agree with him."

"What am I gonna do with him?" Sally asked. She winced at how desperate she sounded.

"You said you fantasized about being trapped somewhere with him and having to share a small bed." Molly's smirk was evident in her tone. "A queen bed isn't exactly small, but I think it'll suit your purpose."

"Molly!" Sally groaned. "So not helping."

Molly giggled. "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist."

"Just because things ended happily for you and Sherlock-"

"And Myrddin and Anthea," Molly cut in.

"That doesn't mean it'll end that way for everyone."

There was another long pause. "Sherlock said we'll pay you back for any money you have to spend on him, and he'll get Mycroft a human identity."

Sally raised an eyebrow. "Do I even want to know how?"

Sherlock said in the background, "Plausible deniability, Sally. Plausible deniability."

She groaned quietly. "Right. At least it's only for a year and a day."

"That's the spirit!" Molly said and Sally could hear the smile in her friend's voice. "All you gotta do is help Mycroft be a better man and he'll be out of your hair in no time."

"Right… Help him be a better man, and not jump his bones."

"Piece of cake." Molly giggled – she was obviously loving this.

"Thanks, Molly. Sorry to interrupt your honeymoon."

"Don't be sorry, this counts as a minor family emergency. Call me or Sherlock anytime if you need anything. We'll be home Sunday."

"Got it. Have fun."

"You too!" Molly giggled again before hanging up.

Sally sighed heavily then turned and jumped. Mycroft was leaning against the doorway with his arms folded in front of his chest, smirking at her.

"I thought I shut that door," Sally muttered.

"You did. You were taking longer than I expected. I thought perhaps you had fallen and hurt yourself. Humans are so fragile."

"Okay, first rule – if the bedroom or bathroom door is shut, you do not enter unless you actually hear me screaming in agony." Sally stood a little straighter. "How much of that call did you hear?"

Mycroft smiled a bit. "Not to worry, I only heard half – your side of the conversation."

 _Oh shit…_ "Then anything you heard was taken out of context."

"You mentioned fantasizing about me and wanting to jump my bones." He raised an eyebrow. "I don't think those phrases work in any context except the obvious."

 _He's awfully calm for a bloke who, just over a week ago, couldn't talk about sex without blushing._ "Yeah, well, do us both a favor and forget you heard them." Turning her back on whatever reaction Mycroft had, she walked back to the sitting room and Mycroft followed her. "I don't have anything you can change into, so you'll have to either sleep in your clothes tonight, or strip down to your pants, whichever you prefer. I'll take you shopping after work tomorrow." _Really hope he can't read minds – I still have Philip's old pajamas but I_ _ **definitely**_ _don't want to see the man I fancy in my ex-lover's clothes._ "Right, tour. This is the sitting room, on the other side of that wall over there is the kitchen, you can see the dining room from here, you already saw the bedroom, and the bathroom is over there."

"Quite … cozy," Mycroft said carefully.

Sally relaxed a little. "You mean 'small,' but that's alright. Best I can afford on an honest detective's salary." She smiled a bit. "Dinner?"

In response, Mycroft's stomach rumbled loudly and he blushed a bit. "Er, yes, thank you."

* * *

Dinner was steaks and baked potatoes in front of Sally's television. When Mycroft asked why they weren't eating at the dining room table, Sally said that the table was for special occasions.

Mycroft smiled a bit. "Dining with an angel isn't a special occasion?"

"Not when I'm going to be doing it for 366 nights in a row." She glanced at him. "In case you couldn't figure it out yourself, your family is going to need a lot longer than just a night to cool off."

"Yes, I gathered that. Do you mind my staying here for the entire duration?"

Sally smiled a bit. "Ask me again in a week." She grabbed the remote and changed the channel from the news to a football game.

He raised an eyebrow. "A bit mind-numbing for you, isn't it?"

"Sometimes, I just want to see one side trounce the other. Doesn't always happen in real life."

Mycroft watched the game for as long as he could stand it, which was about three minutes, then he snatched the remote from her and flipped through the channels until he found a televised production of _Much Ado About Nothing_. "If you want to see the right side win, try this."

Sally smiled a bit. "Did you spy on Shakespeare too?"

Mycroft sniffed. "I never spy, I observe."

"Fair enough." She tapped the end of his nose with one finger. "But if I ever find out you 'observed' me in my birthday suit, Mycroft, you're sleeping rough for the rest of your sentence."

Mycroft felt his cheeks flush, again. "I would never do something so-"

"Immature? Vulgar? Common?" Sally suggested, amused.

"Human."

"Maybe not before, but I bet you're thinking about it now."

Mycroft felt his face get even redder. "Er…"

Sally grinned. "Once you realize you're as human as the rest of us, the next year will be over before you know it." She dug into her baked potato.

 _And if I don't want that?_ he wondered as he watched her. _I would prefer to take my time with some things._

* * *

Two days later, Molly Holmes woke to the sound of a deep purr in her ear and the feeling of an arm around her waist. Grinning, she opened her eyes and slowly turned onto her other side to see her demonic husband of five days beside her, still asleep. Brushing a few stray curls out of his eyes, she softly kissed his nose. The purr stopped then became a chuckle.

"Good morning, love," Sherlock murmured, his eyes still closed.

"Good morning, sexy," she said softly.

He slowly opened his eyes and smiled at her lovingly, then laid a hand over her stomach. "And good morning to you, little girl."

Molly softly kissed his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too. What did you want to do today?"

"Besides you, you mean?" she asked, smirking.

Sherlock chuckled. "It's nice to know you're as addicted to me as I am to you." He turned onto his back, gazing up at her.

"Mmm…" Molly laid her head on his shoulder and sighed contently as he lightly stroked her back. "I wanted to explore the grounds again. We didn't get a chance to climb the Mound." Ethelfleda's Mound was the oldest part of the castle – a hill with a winding path leading to a keep, connected to the rest of the castle by the curtain wall.

"Not exactly a climb," Sherlock said, "it's more of a walk." He softly kissed her hair.

Molly playfully rolled her eyes. "Walk, climb, whatever, it's our last day in the castle and I want to go. We'll get some great photos."

Sherlock sighed overdramatically. "Very well, if we must, we must."

"Thank you, sexy." She softly kissed his neck. "I'll make it up to you in the shower."

Sherlock chuckled. "Why can't you make it up to me here?"

Molly lifted her head to grin at him. "Because if I did, we'd never leave."

Sherlock grinned back. "I don't see a problem with that."

She playfully smacked his shoulder.

* * *

"Do you feel that, love?" Sherlock asked. They were at the top of the Mound, looking over the rest of the castle spread out below.

"Feel what, Sherlock?" Molly said as she made a video with her phone of the view.

"That breeze." He looked over at the nearby tree. "The leaves aren't moving at all but I distinctly feel a warm breeze."

Molly grinned at him. "Warm breeze? Sounds like hot air to me." She giggled at his disapproving look. "Now that you mention it, I do feel something." Molly paused, sniffing the air. "Do you smell apples?"

"Yes." He looked around at the other visitors near them. "No one here has one of those toffee apples they're selling." Sherlock pulled out his mobile.

"Who are you texting?" Molly asked, curious.

He smiled a bit. "Your stepson."

 _10:31a What were those phenomena you're looking for again? SH_

 _10:33a Texting your son while you're on your honeymoon? Isn't that one of those law things? ME_

Sherlock rolled his eyes.

 _10:34a Just answer the question, Myrddin. SH_

 _10:35a 1) A warm breeze that people can feel but it doesn't move anything else._

 _10:36a 2) A sense of rejuvenation that lasts as long as you're in the immediate area._

 _10:37a 3) The inexplicable scent of apples. ME_

"Rejuvenation?" Sherlock looked over at a retired couple still climbing the small hill.

"Hon, do you need a break?" the wife asked. "Your knee must be bothering you."

"Actually, it feels better today than it has in years," the husband replied, grinning.

Sherlock turned back to his phone.

 _10:40a You need to come to Warwick Castle – I think we just found Avalon. SH_


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Qwerty asked why they were looking for Avalon. Myrddin needed to know where Avalon was so he'd know where Arthur was in case Arthur ever woke up.

* * *

Sherlock and Molly watched as Myrddin and Anthea made their way across the crowded castle courtyard and up the Mound. When they were at the top, hugs were exchanged and Anthea was welcomed back.

Myrddin looked around, his eyes glazed over. "This is the place," he murmured, then he pointed to a spot by the wall. "There, that's the portal."

"Are you going in?" Sherlock asked, concerned.

Myrddin blinked and his eyes were back to normal. "Not now, too many people around. I'll come back tonight after the castle is closed."

"What do you expect to find?" Anthea asked.

"Arthur, hopefully still asleep. If he's awake, then England's in danger and we're all in deep shit."

Molly looked at Sherlock. "Between this and Mycroft, maybe we should shorten our honeymoon."

"King Arthur is most likely asleep and Sally has Mycroft in hand," he said, rolling his eyes at Myrddin's smirk. "Having said that, my family does tend to be trouble magnets." Sherlock took his wife's hand, smiling at her softly. "We can always see Stratford-upon-Avon later, before the baby comes."

She smiled back. "I'd like that."

* * *

That afternoon, Sherlock carried Molly over the threshold into their flat, Molly giggling the entire time.

"Are you going to do this every time we go somewhere?" she asked.

"The thought had crossed my mind," he said, grinning at her.

He kissed her softly as he carried her into their bedroom, only stopping when he heard purring coming from the bed. Sherlock set Molly on her feet then he smirked at their kitten. Devil looked back up at them from where he was curled on Molly's pillow.

"Hello to you too, Devil," Sherlock said. "I see your time with Myrddin has left you none the worse for wear. If you don't mind, we'd like some privacy."

When Devil jumped down and started rubbing against Molly's ankles, Sherlock picked the kitten up and set him down in the hallway.

"You can have your quality time with Molly after I've had mine." He closed the bedroom door before Devil could come back in then turned to his wife, sighing overdramatically. "If I had known he'd be that attached to you…"

Molly laughed softly. "He's only slightly less attached than you are." She wrapped her arms around his waist, smiling a bit. "You were saying something about continuing our honeymoon here at home?"

"Mmm, yes," Sherlock murmured as his arms went around her. "What would you like to do?"

"Before we do anything together, could you do something for me first?"

"Anything, you know that."

"I'd like to watch you touch yourself." She raised an eyebrow when he suddenly blushed. "Sherlock Holmes," she murmured, gently teasing, "incubus, lover, husband, not to mention sexiest man on the planet, is blushing at his wife's suggestion that he touch himself?" Molly tilted her head slightly, her tone softer. "There's something I'm missing, isn't there?"

"I … we…" Sherlock took a deep breath. "Incubi and succubi can't bring themselves to orgasm, we're not built that way. Me trying to masturbate would be like you trying to tickle yourself, it just doesn't work."

"Then, what happens when you're aroused and need relief?"

"We find a partner or we wait for the arousal to pass." He sighed quietly. "Our pleasure can only be found with someone else, it's a consequence of our intended role in making more soldiers for Hell."

"So, you're saying that those weeks when you were trying to seduce me, you didn't have any relief?" Molly asked sympathetically.

"Correct." Sherlock looked away, not wanting to see the expression on her face as he confessed, "I briefly, **briefly** considered finding a woman who looked like you so I could feel some sort of release, even if it wasn't the one I wanted, but then I imagined your face when you found out. That's when I realized I was in love with you." He felt her stroke his cheek and he looked back at her.

She smiled at him lovingly. "You did nothing wrong, Sherlock. And there's nothing wrong in not being able to masturbate. If I had known, I wouldn't have said anything." Molly slid a hand down to stroke him through his trousers. "As long as you feel pleasure when I touch you, that's all that matters."

Sherlock groaned as he felt himself instantly harden. "I do," he murmured, a bit breathless. "I always do."

"Good." She kissed him softly. "If I can't watch you, then how about you watch me?" She smiled a bit. "Again."

"Mmm, I'd like that." He took another deep breath. "I have another confession to make."

"Oh? What do you need to get off your chest?" She softly kissed his neck. "Besides your shirt, I mean." She started undoing the buttons, kissing the revealed skin as she went.

Sherlock shivered. "You didn't touch my mark that night. I came back right after I'd left and positioned myself beside the bed. I knew you were aroused because of me and I knew what you were going to do. I wanted to be there to see you come while you were thinking of me."

Molly gazed at him for a moment. "Sherlock, if you expect these things you're confessing to make me think the worst of you, you couldn't be more wrong. Thank you for telling me the truth, but it doesn't change anything between us or the memory I cherish of that night."

His body sagged in relief. "Thank you, Molly." Their clothes vanished and he drank in the sight of his beautiful wife.

Molly smiled a bit. "Will you still want me when I'm nine months pregnant and as big as a house?"

Sherlock chuckled. "Yes. You'll always be beautiful and the thought of you visibly pregnant thrills me, love."

Her smile softened. "I'll hold you to that, mister." She kissed him softly then took his hand and led him to the bed. "You said you wanted to watch me, right?"

Sherlock nodded, his eyes on hers. "Whatever you want to do, Molly," he murmured.

"Mmm…" Molly turned down the bed then climbed onto it and stretched out on her side, giving Sherlock a chance to admire her bum. "See something you like?" she asked over her shoulder, grinning at him.

Sherlock chuckled as he climbed in behind her. "Oh, yes – your heart-shaped bum," he ran his hand over it, "your perfect breasts," he reached up to cup one, "just the right size for my hands, then there's your neck." He softly kissed the spot where her neck met her shoulder. "I find myself irresistibly drawn to it." He kissed his way up her neck.

Molly shivered. "I thought this was about me making myself come, not you making me come with just your lips and voice."

Sherlock chuckled. "Just warming you up, love." He lightly ran a hand down her arm, goosebumps rising on her skin. "See? I knew you were cold."

She giggled. "Oh, you know exactly what you're doing, sexy." She turned onto her back, smiling up at him. "You always do."

"Mmm…" Sherlock sat up then leaned against the pillows and spread his bent legs. "Come here, love. Let me hold you while you pleasure yourself."

Molly moved to sit between his legs, her back to him. He wrapped his arms around her and she leaned against him, sighing softly. His cock pressed against her bum as he murmured in her ear, "I do believe I want you more now than I did before the wedding."

"I didn't think it was possible, but I want you more now too." She rubbed his knee. "Who knew I'd be even more attracted to my husband than I was to my fiancé?" Molly spread her legs so that her thighs pressed against his.

"Mmm, I don't even have to see it to know you're wet for me," Sherlock murmured, nuzzling her neck. His hands moved up to cup her breasts, his thumbs toying with her nipples.

She moaned softly. "God, Sherlock…" Molly lowered a hand between her legs, her fingers lightly stroking her clit. She moaned again, the sound blending with Sherlock's low groan.

"You are the most beautiful, passionate, responsive woman," he murmured. "What did I do to deserve you?"

"You loved me," Molly murmured. "That's all you needed to do. All you ever need to do."

He bent his head to kiss her shoulder, his eyes on her hand. "Such small, delicate hands," he murmured against her skin.

"Mmm, too small," she murmured. "My fingers aren't nearly as long as yours."

"Are you saying you need assistance, love?"

He could hear the grin in her voice. "Two hands are better than one."

"If you insist."

Molly continued to play with her clit as Sherlock trailed a hand down her body, his fingers brushing against her hand before sliding two inside her and thrusting them slowly. She gasped softly.

"I take it that's what you were missing," he murmured.

"You know it was." Between the two of them, it wasn't long before she was throwing her head back as she moaned his name loudly.

Sherlock held her close as she came down from her climax. When her breathing returned to normal, he murmured, "I could watch you do that all day."

Molly laughed weakly. "That sounds both delicious and exhausting."

"Since I couldn't do as you asked, is there something else you'd like me to do?" He softly kissed her shoulder.

"Mmm, actually, there is something I want to try, if you're game."

"Ready, willing, and able, love," he murmured. "What is it?"

"In my nightstand drawer, there's a sleep mask."

"Ah," he said as he reached over to open the drawer and pull out the black silk mask. "You want me to make love to you while you wear this. Visual deprivation can heighten the experience."

"Close," she said, grinning as she turned to face him. "I want to make love to you while you wear it."

He turned to stare at her. Molly sighed quietly.

"What did I say now?" she asked. "If I offended you somehow, I'm sorry, I-"

Sherlock pulled her close and kissed her deeply before she could say anything more. She kissed him back for a moment then pulled back, confused.

"I've been blindfolded many times before," he explained softly, "but it was always when I was also tied to the bed. The other person would tease me by … well, that part you don't need to know, but it was all about power. Not that there's anything wrong with it, a power play can be exciting. But for you to say you only want to blindfold me so it will enhance my pleasure, Molly, that's … that's something no one had ever done for me before."

She smiled at him softly. "That's because no one has ever loved you as much as I love you."

"And no one ever will." He grinned at her before slipping on the sleep mask. He smiled a bit. "It smells like your perfume."

Molly chuckled. "I'd apologize but I know you like the smell of it."

"That's true." He slowly laid back, his smile turning soft. "I am at your mercy, my darling. I know I'm in the best hands."

"I'm grateful that you trust me so much, Sherlock," she said softly.

He felt her brush a few curls off his face then she lightly kissed his forehead above the mask. He started to raise his hands from where they rested at his sides then stopped.

"Sherlock, if you want to touch me, go ahead," Molly said gently. "You can do whatever you want, and that includes taking the mask off. I won't be disappointed if you want to stop this at any time, I promise."

"You really are a treasure, Molly," he murmured. He lifted a hand and Molly took it and kissed the knuckles before laying it on her shoulder. He brought his other hand unerringly to her other shoulder.

"Have you memorized my body already?" she asked, her amusement clear in her voice.

Sherlock chuckled. "Yes. I know the breadth of your shoulders, the sparkle in your eyes, and exactly how pink your cheeks get when you think of each part of my body." He smirked. "My voice makes you blush the most, by the way. I know every ticklish spot, every freckle, and every place that makes your knees weak with a simple touch. I also know the two most important spots." He lifted one hand to cradle the back of her head, his fingers in her hair. The other hand he moved to just above her heart. "Your mind, the biggest erogenous zone of all, and your heart, the only place I want to be."

"Oh, love…" Molly murmured, and Sherlock could hear she was a little choked up.

She took the hand that was over her heart and kissed the palm, then after a moment he felt her lips lightly brush his. His other hand was still cradling the back of her head and he used it to hold her to him as he kissed her deeply.

She pulled back when they both needed air and Sherlock was so tempted to remove the mask but he decided it was more important to find out what she would do next. He was very pleased to learn that the thing she would do next was wrap her small hand around the base of his cock. He was even more pleased when she started stroking him slowly.

"Sherlock?" she murmured. "Put your hand over mine."

He hesitated for a heartbeat or two then he put his hand over hers, engulfing it. He kept it there as she continued to stroke him. _This feels so damn good…_ "Molly … thank you."

"You're welcome, sexy," she murmured.

Not being able to see what they were doing, Sherlock indeed found his wife's touch even more stimulating. _Overstimulating, really,_ he thought. _I'm hard as a rock now and if she does much more I'll-_

His brain short-circuited as he felt her lips on the tip. When he was able to form words again, he gasped out, "Molly!"

"Yes, Sherlock?" she asked innocently.

 _It's impressive how innocent she can sound while she's licking my cock,_ Sherlock thought. _Very impressive. Still…_ "You, um, you might want to stop that..."

"Oh, I don't think so," she said, and this time her tone was a lot more wicked. "Your recovery time is much shorter than a human man's, so we can have all sorts of fun today."

His groan was halfway between pleasure and frustration. "You're going to kill me…"

"Do you want me to stop?" Her innocent tone was back.

"God, no," Sherlock said firmly. _However…_ "I would like to be inside you as soon as possible, if that's alright…" _Only Molly can reduce me to this._

"Such a polite incubus," she cooed, then she giggled.

He groaned again. "Please, Molly…"

"Hmm," she murmured, her tone thoughtful. "If we make love now, I'll fall asleep, like I always do, and we'll miss out on more playtime."

"I'd keep you awake if I could," he murmured.

"You, husband, are a horrible liar," she said, and he could hear the grin in her voice. "Even if it weren't an incubus thing to make your partner fall asleep after sex, you still like wearing me out."

He chuckled. "That's true. Look at it this way, love – it's Thursday afternoon, you don't go back to work until Monday morning. We still have plenty of time to play."

"Mmm, true." He felt her lips on his neck. "Do you want to keep the mask on?"

"Yes, even though it deprives me of your beautiful face."

"Charmer," she murmured fondly.

He felt her straddle him and he moved his hands to hold her hips, groaning as she lowered herself onto his cock. Molly moaned as she started to ride him.

"God, Sherlock…" she murmured.

He slid his hands up her sides, meeting her every thrust. "This feels so intense, love … but I miss seeing your face…"

"And my breasts?" she asked, the grin in her voice evident.

"Mmm, I do find them to be rather … mesmerizing."

Molly giggled. "I love you." He felt her weight shift, one of her hands on his chest, then the sleep mask was removed and he could see her leaning over him, grinning. "I missed seeing your eyes, sexy."

He pulled her down to kiss her softly then he rolled them over and grinned down at her. "This really is my favorite sight – you with your hair spread over the pillow, your cheeks flushed, and your pupils dilated." Molly grinned back at him and he lowered his head to kiss her, one hand moving to stroke her clit as he continued to move inside her.

She moaned into his mouth as she came around him and he climaxed a moment later. He pulled out and laid down beside her, still catching his breath as he pulled her into his arms.

She buried her face in his shoulder, murmuring, "Sherlock … you really are amazing…"

"I could say the exact same about you, love."

* * *

That evening, Myrddin was in the bedroom, just putting on his black robes, when there was a soft knock on the door. He smiled a bit. "Come in, Anthea."

The door opened and she stepped into the room, smiling back. "I wanted to catch you before you left."

"I wasn't about to leave without saying goodbye first." He gently pulled her into his arms. "You know, you don't have to knock – this is your home too."

She wrapped her arms around his waist. "I didn't want to barge in while you were changing." She blushed slightly.

Myrddin grinned. "I wouldn't have minded."

Anthea laughed softly. "You really have no shame, do you?"

"When it comes to flirting with my fiancée? Absolutely not." He kissed her softly. "This shouldn't take long. Don't let anyone in or answer the phone unless it's someone you know."

She smiled patiently. "I know, Myrddin." Her smile turned into a grin. "Would it make you feel better if I went across the hall and borrowed Devil?"

He smirked. "Actually, that's not a bad idea – he's got five pointy ends if you need someone to defend you."

Anthea laughed softly. "Alright, the kitten and I will have some playtime while you check on your king."

"Good." Myrddin reached up and pulled on his hood, disappearing from sight.

She could still feel him in her arms. "Be careful, Myrddin."

"I will, baby." He kissed her forehead then vanished.

* * *

Sally stared at the invoice she was holding, her eyebrows disappearing into her hair. "Is this your way of getting back at your brother for not taking you in?" They were sitting on her sofa, having after-dinner tea with her favorite lemon tart.

She could hear the smirk in Mycroft's voice. "Perhaps. Do you think he'll mind?"

"He can certainly afford it, from what I hear," she looked up at him, smirking back, "but this leaves you open to a counter-attack."

"What can he possibly do to me?"

"Confiscate your new custom-made wardrobe, for one," Sally said, holding up the invoice. "Whatever happens, kindly leave me out of it – getting caught in the crossfire between an angel and a demon is not my idea of fun." She set the invoice on her coffee table then noticed him rubbing the back of his neck, again. "Crick still hasn't gone away?"

"If anything, it's worse," he admitted. "Sleeping on your sofa is not agreeing with me."

"I was afraid of that," she sighed. "I'd get you a hotel room but since the world isn't ready for you out on your own, we can share my bed."

Mycroft choked on his tea. "I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me." Sally smirked. "I promise to keep my hands to myself."

"How reassuring," he muttered. He turned his head slightly and winced. "In light of my current circumstances, I accept your offer."

"Good. You can have the first chance at the loo tonight."

Mycroft rolled his eyes. "So generous."

* * *

Myrddin appeared beside the portal and looked around. No one was in sight. Sighing in relief, he chanted softly in Latin and the portal started to glow with a soft yellow light. Taking a deep breath, he walked through and appeared on the shore of a crystal-clear lake.

Avalon was just as he'd left it – a small island of apple trees in the middle of the lake, the only building on it a golden pavilion. Eschewing the nearby rowboat, he vanished then appeared on the steps of the pavilion. Myrddin could feel the healing magic emanating from the building, magic so strong that some of it seeped past the portal. At the top of the steps, he could see the dais with the golden bed.

Laying on the bed, looking very much like he was in an ordinary sleep, was Arthur. Myrddin sighed in relief as he approached the bed and looked him over.

 _The magic has done its work and then some – his wounds are healed and God, he looks like a man in his prime again. Guinevere, Lancelot, all those years of in-fighting, not to mention all the actual battles, took quite a toll on him but none of that strain shows now. He was barely fifty when he was struck down, now he looks thirty_. "Sleep on, old friend," Myrddin said softly. "God willing, I'll be here for you when you wake."

Once outside the portal, he sealed it with another Latin chant and was about to leave when something stopped him dead in his tracks – the scent of honeysuckle. Myrddin felt the blood leave his face as he remembered the only woman he knew who wore that scent. "Nimue?" he whispered.

There was no response. Myrddin felt like kicking himself when he saw the nearby honeysuckle bush. _I'm getting paranoid in my old age._

It wasn't until he was drifting off to sleep that night that a thought struck him, making him sit up, wide awake. _Those flowers were closed, I shouldn't have been able to smell anything from where I stood_. Then another thought, one that chilled him to the bone. _Nimue's back._

* * *

Sherlock watched his wife sleep, his hand over her flat stomach. _Who will you be, little one?_ he mused. _A sweetheart, like your mother? A deviant, like me? Or something in between, like your brother?_

A pounding on the front door alerted him. _Who the hell is that?!_ He got up and pulled on his dressing gown just as Molly was waking up.

"What's going on?" she asked sleepily.

"Either there's an emergency or I'm going to kill someone," he muttered. "Stay here." Sherlock left the room, closing the bedroom door behind him then went to the front door, the person on the other side still pounding. Sherlock looked through the peephole and growled. "What the fuck do you think you're doing, Myrddin?" he demanded when he opened the door.

Myrddin was standing in the hall in just his pajama bottoms, Anthea beside him in her pajamas and dressing gown. She looked worried but Myrddin looked frantic.

"We need to call everyone together," he said quickly.

"What's wrong?" Sherlock asked, his mood switching to concerned in a heartbeat. "Is King Arthur awake?"

"No, thank God, but he is in danger. The rest of us too."

* * *

 _I feel like a starving man gazing at a bakery window,_ Mycroft thought as he watched Sally sleep. He was stretched out beside her, keeping a respectful distance between their bodies. After two nights of trying and failing to sleep on what he determined to be the most uncomfortable sofa in the history of mankind, he was now laying on probably the most comfortable bed he'd ever know, but still unable to sleep.

 _All because of this human woman beside me._ He longed to take her in his arms and wake her with a kiss. _And it's not merely her physical form that pleases me. Her intelligence, her sense of humor (even if it's usually directed at me), her endless patience with me (though she pretends otherwise), her previously stated attraction to me, all of these combine to make her the most appealing woman I have ever met._

One obstacle stood in his way – his determination to remain pure so Heaven would accept him when the time came. _I cannot jeopardize my future, even for her. Whatever's between us must remain-_

He was jarred out of his thoughts by Sally's chirping mobile. Before her eyes were even open, she was reaching out to grab the phone and bring it to her face. Sally opened her eyes and squinted at the glowing display in the darkness of the room then she groaned quietly.

"Bloody hell…" she muttered.

"Work?" Mycroft guessed.

"I wish." She reached up to turn on the bedside lamp then showed him the text.

 _12:34a Need you at Sherlock and Molly's now, no time to explain. ME_

Mycroft raised an eyebrow. "What could my nephew possibly want at this hour?"

"Whatever it is, it can't be good." She smiled a bit. "Want to tag along?"

"They want you, not me."

"As long as you're here, we're a package deal." She replied to Myrddin's text, not seeing the surprise on Mycroft's face.

 _12:38a I'm coming and I'm bringing Mycroft with me. SD_

 _12:39a Fine, whatever, just get here. ME_

"Must be serious," she said, looking up at him again, "he didn't object."

"God help us."

* * *

"You're expecting us to believe an awful lot on very little evidence, Myrddin," Greg said, exasperated. "You say you found King Arthur, but all you can give us is your word. Then you say your ex is threatening all of us and all you have to show for it is a flower you smelled that happened to be the same as the flowers six feet in front of you."

Everyone was gathered in Sherlock and Molly's sitting room and kitchen, staring at Myrddin. He stood a little straighter.

"I know it's a lot to accept but you've accepted a lot more on a lot less evidence. I mean, take a look around." He pointed to himself. "Campion." Then to Sherlock. "Demon." Then Mycroft. "Bastard … sorry, I mean angel." His eyes landed on Sally then glazed over. "Nephilim."

"What?!" Sally, Mycroft, Sherlock, and Anthea demanded at the same time. Everyone else just looked confused.

Myrddin blinked, his eyes clearing. "Sorry, those things tend to just come out of the blue."

"What's a nephilim?" Sally asked.

"The offspring of a human and an angel," Mycroft said, staring at her.

"Problem – neither of my parents is an angel."

"The term includes the descendants of a human and an angel," Anthea said.

"You really expect me to believe that one of my great-whatever grandparents was an angel?" Sally asked.

"It does explain why you could see me in my angelic form," Mycroft said, bemused.

"Can we save the Ancestry dot com stuff for later?" Greg asked. "Why should we believe that Nimue is back?"

"Because she's an evil bitch who hates me and loves mind games," Myrddin said. "She can't get to Arthur but leaving her signature scent behind at the portal is her way of saying she's back and she can get to me any time she wants." He ran an agitated hand through his hair. "Look, I know I don't have much to go on but you have to believe me – Nimue's out there."

"What can we do?" Mary asked. "If she's almost as powerful as you, as you say, then you're the only one who can take her down."

"Nimue's human," Myrddin said. "It doesn't matter how powerful she is, she's vulnerable."

"Then what do we do?" Molly asked. "Wait for her to make a move?"

"Her first move could be someone else's last. No, we find her before she can strike."

"But how?" Anthea asked. "You said she was keeping you from seeing her while you were in the tree."

"Just because I can't see her, that doesn't mean other people can't," Myrddin said. He looked at Dimmock. "Can Heaven see her?"

"Heaven can see anyone," Mycroft said before Dimmock had a chance to reply.

"I wasn't asking you," Myrddin said angrily. "You shouldn't even be here, Mycroft. You're only here because Sally-"

"If you know what's good for you, you will not finish that sentence, Myrddin," Sally said, irritation plain on her face.

Dimmock rolled his eyes. "Mycroft's right, Heaven can see anyone. I'll ask that someone look for Nimue."

"Thanks, Renatus," Myrddin said.

"What about Hell?" Molly asked. "If Heaven can see anyone, Hell should be able to."

"You mean your buddy Sebastian?" Myrddin asked.

"Yes. I'm sure if I ask nicely, he'd help."

"His kind of help we don't need," Sherlock muttered.

She lightly patted his shoulder, smiling a bit. "Jealousy becomes you, Sherlock."

Sherlock rolled his eyes but couldn't help a smile. "If you really want to ask him, I'll help you summon him tomorrow."

"Thank you, love."

"I suggest everyone go home," he said. "It's late and there's nothing more that can be done tonight."

"But stay vigilant," Myrddin said. "If you meet a strange woman, don't give her anything and definitely don't accept anything."

"What does she look like?" John asked.

"I'd tell you but it doesn't matter – she's fond of changing her appearance."

"I still think you're being paranoid," Greg said on his way out, "but it never hurts to be careful."

Myrddin stopped Sally just before she and Mycroft left. "Next time, could you leave him at home?"

"He's not a pet," Sally said angrily. "You don't have to like that he's part of your family, Myrddin, but you do have to accept it." She stormed out of the room, Mycroft following in her wake.

* * *

She didn't say a word until they were in the elevator. Sally pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes, groaning in frustration. Mycroft could only watch, both fascinated by and unsure of her display.

After a moment, she lowered her hands. "Why can't he just grow up?" she asked quietly, raising her eyes to his. "You're sorry for what you did, right?"

"To be perfectly honest, I'm not." He ignored her stare. "If given a chance, I'm sure I would choose the same path."

"Might as well give up and go straight to Hell, then" she muttered. When the elevator stopped at the lobby, she walked out, not bothering to see if he was following her.

He remained five steps behind her the entire way to the parking garage. The whole time, he tried to be the better man and not look at her bum, finding it impossible.

Mycroft lightly grabbed her arm just as she was unlocking her car. She turned to glare at him.

"What?" she demanded.

"Forgive me," he said quietly. "I seem to be failing quite badly at … all of this."

Sally let out a sigh, visibly relaxing. "Yeah, you are." She smiled weakly. "But hey, being human means not being perfect, so maybe there's hope for you yet."

It was Mycroft's turn to stare. "I…"

Sally chuckled. "Let's go home."

* * *

Once they were in bed again with the lights off, Sally turned to Mycroft. The ambient light from outside was just enough to let her see his face.

"Hey," she said softly.

He turned to her, curious. "Yes?"

"How did I not know I'm a nephilim? I mean, you'd think something like that would be a family legend."

"We don't know how long ago your angelic ancestor … encountered your human one."

She smiled a bit. "That's putting it euphemistically. So, if it was centuries ago, my family would've forgotten about it?"

"Exactly, and if no one in your family has encountered an angel until now, none of you would have had any way of knowing you were not completely human."

"Right." _I really, really hope we're not related. Better to find out now while we haven't done anything_. "You and I, we're not…"

"Not what?" he asked warily.

"Not related, right?"

Mycroft chuckled softly, relaxing. "Whoever your angelic ancestor was, it certainly wasn't me. If it had been Sherlock, you'd be a campion instead of a nephilim."

"What about your sister?"

"It's possible, but I suspect your angelic ancestor was actually the angel known as Portia. She was the last angel in good standing to be convicted of a crime before me."

Sally raised an eyebrow. "What did she do?"

"She abandoned her post and hid herself from Heaven's gaze for a year. Such a thing could not have been possible without the use of dark forces. When she was found, it was discovered that she had run off with a human and had a child by him."

"And that's bad?"

"Relations between angels and humans had been illegal since the dawn of man. Nephilim were considered too unpredictable, thus Heaven attempted to prevent their conception."

Sally smiled a bit. "Do you think I'm unpredictable?" She couldn't be positive in the low light, but she thought she saw him blush.

"I haven't known you long enough to determine that." He cleared his throat. "During Portia's trial, she described how she fell in love with a human. I was there. She described her relationship so eloquently that the 'court of public opinion' was swayed in her favor, and they managed to convince the Elders to pardon her."

"What became of her?" Sally asked softly, fascinated by the story.

"The Elders let her choose what she wanted to do with her life. Portia chose to spend the rest of her days in her human form with her family. When her husband eventually died of old age, it is said she died of a broken heart."

Sally swallowed hard. "But did she have a happy life?"

"She was very happy. In fact, her life inspired the Elders to lift the ban on angel and human relations. Angels finding love with humans will never be common, but the couples that do exist owe their happiness to her."

Sally smiled softly. "A good legacy, if you ask me. So, how do I find out if I'm related to her?"

"Myrddin could peer up your family tree, so to speak. Once he is finished hating me, and you by extension, that is."

"That shouldn't take long – I don't think anyone could hate you forever." She leaned closer to kiss his cheek. "Goodnight, Mycroft." She smiled a bit. "Again."

Mycroft blinked in surprise. "Goodnight, Sally."


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Molly watched as her husband chanted something in Latin and a wall of flames appeared in their kitchen. Beyond the flames, she could see Sebastian sitting on the edge of a narrow bed in a very spartan bedroom. He was dressed in cargo pants, combat boots, and a t-shirt, all black.

He smiled a bit. "Dr. Holmes, Colonel, as much as I enjoy seeing you both, I really hope this is important – James would kill me if he knew I was talking to you and I'd prefer this to be worth it."

"It is," Molly assured him. "We need your help, Sebastian."

The demon sniper sat up straighter. "Who do you need me to kill?"

"No one," she said quickly. "At least, not yet. Right now, we just need you to find someone."

"Who?" Sebastian asked warily.

"Nimue," Sherlock said. "She's a very powerful-"

"I know who she is," Sebastian cut in. "All of Hell knows about the first female campion."

"What?!" Sherlock and Molly demanded.

Seb smirked. "This is what you get for being out of the loop, Colonel."

"Will you stop calling me that?" Sherlock asked, irritated. "I haven't served in either army in millennia."

"Once a soldier, always a soldier," Seb said, smiling a bit.

"Myrddin said she's human," Molly said, confused.

"Yes, well, we don't always tell our significant others the truth," Sebastian said.

"If Nimue's a campion, who's her demonic parent?" Sherlock asked.

"Nope, not going there," Seb said. "I like my head right where it is."

"But you are willing to help us find Nimue?" Molly asked, confused.

"Yes – she's not nearly as scary as her parent if you get on her bad side."

Sherlock raised an eyebrow. "You won't even tell us if her parent's an incubus or a succubus?"

"Correct. You'll figure it out eventually, but I won't be the one to blame." Sebastian looked towards his bedroom door then back at them. "James needs me. I'll let you know if I find her."

"Thank you, Sebastian," Molly said. "And thank you for the wedding gift, that was very thoughtful."

He smiled a bit. "You're welcome. Be careful." The flames vanished.

Molly looked at Sherlock. "We have to tell Myrddin."

He nodded. "The more we know about Nimue, the more we can use against her."

* * *

Mycroft woke that morning to an empty bed. His disappointment lasted until he saw the note on his nightstand.

 _Mycroft,_

 _I'll come home for lunch if I can. If not, see you tonight._

 _Sally_

 _P.S. You're the first man I've slept with who doesn't snore. I think I'm going to like this arrangement._

Mycroft felt his cheeks redden. _It's a good thing there's no one here to see this._

The mobile Sally had given him chirped. Mycroft rolled his eyes, his distaste for the device surging anew, but he picked it up anyway.

 _9:02a Holmes family meeting. My flat. One hour. S_

"You are aware that 'Holmes' isn't actually our surname?" Mycroft asked him as he walked into the flat exactly one hour later.

Sherlock rolled his eyes as he shut the front door and led the way to the kitchen. "For all intents and purposes, it is. Including yours – you're officially Mycroft Holmes now. Upstanding citizen, perhaps a little too upstanding."

"What my father is trying to say is that you need to loosen up," Myrddin muttered from his seat at the peninsula, not looking up from his breakfast. He was halfway through an omelet, a cup of coffee, and the morning paper. "Specifically, you need to get laid. Buy a box of condoms and beg Sally to let you fumble your way to getting both of you off."

Mycroft felt a tremendous urge to punch his nephew but decided that keeping his temper would be the better course of action. He raised an eyebrow. "Is your fiancée aware of exactly how crude you are?" Mycroft turned to Sherlock, not waiting for an answer. "Where are the ladies, anyway? I would have thought a Holmes family meeting would include Mrs. Sherlock Holmes and the future Mrs. Myrddin Holmes."

"They went out for breakfast," Sherlock said. He smiled tightly. "And she's Dr. Molly Holmes."

"Just like Anthea will be Mrs. Anthea Holmes," Myrddin said, sipping his coffee. "Of course, it'll be a miracle if Sally becomes Mrs. Sally Holmes."

Sherlock rolled his eyes. "Quit antagonizing him, Myrddin. I insisted on this meeting because we need to stick together. Even if the threat Nimue poses never materializes, we are still family and we must support each other."

"You sound like a parenting manual," Myrddin muttered.

"That's probably because I'm reading one," Sherlock said, smiling a bit. He turned to Mycroft. "Are you sorry for what you did?"

"Not particularly, no," Mycroft said. "I acted selfishly, I can admit that, but I also thought Anthea was better off working for me."

"You're saying I'm not good enough for her?" Myrddin demanded, glaring at him.

"Correct, but to be perfectly honest, no one is."

Sherlock smirked. "Isn't that how everyone feels about the people they care about? I certainly thought I wasn't good enough for Molly, and I know no one will be good enough for the baby."

"You … care about Anthea?" Myrddin asked Mycroft, surprised.

"Yes, of course," Mycroft said. "She wasn't simply my PA, I saw her as my protégé."

"Did she know that?"

"No, I didn't," Anthea said from the doorway. Molly was with her. Both women held Starbucks cups in their hands.

"I thought you were going out for breakfast," Sherlock said.

"Just coffee," Molly said, smiling. "We decided you make a better breakfast than any restaurant."

"Would it have made a difference?" Mycroft asked Anthea.

"In the end, no," she admitted, "but it's nice to know you thought highly of me."

"I still do." He watched as Anthea walked over to Myrddin and took his outstretched hand. Mycroft realized he had never seen her so happy. "I … can admit now that you will be a much better wife to Myrddin than you were a PA to me because your heart will be in it."

"Thank you, sir … Mycroft." Anthea turned to Myrddin, murmuring, "Please, Myrddin?"

Myrddin turned to Mycroft. "Do you promise never to interfere in our lives again?"

"I cannot promise that, but I do promise to never try to end your relationship."

Myrddin assessed him for a moment. "Good enough." He held out his hand.

Mycroft shook it. "Thank you." _I wish Sally were here to see this._

"Now that that's over," Sherlock said, grinning, "who else wants eggs?"

* * *

Myrddin held Anthea's left hand as she sat next to him at the peninsula, his thumb idly rubbing her engagement ring. She ate with her right hand, giving him amused glances every so often.

Molly grinned at them from across the peninsula. "Is he always like this?"

"Only after we've been apart for more than an hour," Anthea said, smiling. "He's been that way since I came back. He'll calm down soon."

"You make me sound like a toddler with separation anxiety," Myrddin muttered, smiling.

"Are you saying you're not?" Mycroft asked from where he leaned against the counter, smirking.

"I just like holding her hand," Myrddin said, a little defensive.

"You might want to keep holding it," Sherlock said gently. "Molly and I talked to Sebastian. He said that Nimue is the female campion."

Myrddin's coffee cup smashed when it hit the floor, spraying coffee everywhere, but Myrddin didn't notice – his full attention was on his father. "Say that again," he said slowly.

"Nimue is the female campion," Sherlock said. "She lied to you."

"That bitch!" Myrddin shouted as he rose from his chair, his face red with fury. "I trusted her! I didn't look into her past, I thought there was no need! I trusted her! We could've bonded over being campions! I could've helped her! I could've loved her! Hell, I did love her!"

"Anthea, you're bleeding," Molly said, concerned.

Anthea looked down at her leg. A shard from the cup had cut her calf and a thin trail of blood dripped down her leg.

Myrddin didn't notice, he was still ranting about Nimue. "I should've married her! God, what a pair we would have made! No one could've stopped two campions working together! Tyrants would've trembled at our names! She should have trusted me!"

"Myrddin!" Sherlock shouted above the ranting. "If you can forget about your ex for five minutes, you'll see your fiancée is hurt!"

"What?!" He turned to see Molly kneeling on the floor as she cleaned the small wound.

"It's not deep," she said. "She won't need stitches.

"Baby," Myrddin said quietly, "I'm sorry…"

Anthea refused to look at him as Molly dressed the cut with a bandage from the first aid kit.

"There," Molly said gently. "Why don't you go sit down?"

Anthea nodded and started to get up. When Myrddin tried to help her, she glared at him. "I may not be a campion, but I can walk perfectly well, even with a superficial wound."

"Baby, I-"

"Don't," she said firmly. "Just don't."

She left the room then Myrddin heard the front door open and close. In his mind's eye, he could see her enter their flat and lock the door behind her. There were tears in her eyes but she refused to let them fall.

"I fucked up," he said quietly.

"Quite an astute observation," Mycroft said.

"What do I do?"

"Go over there right now and apologize," Sherlock said firmly.

"No," Molly said. "She needs a chance to get her frustrations out. Give her time to boil over then cool down, then you can go to her."

"You make her sound like a tea kettle," Mycroft said.

"It's better if she gets truly angry first," Molly said. "She'll feel better afterwards. It's a release, just like any other."

"You can practice your groveling until then," Mycroft said, smirking.

"Do you think apologizing will be enough?" Myrddin asked worriedly.

"If you're sincere, yes," Sherlock said. "You said that if you had known Nimue was a campion, you would have married her."

Myrddin swallowed hard. "I'm an ass."

"No argument here," Sherlock said.

"Be sure to tell her that," Molly said, smiling a bit. "We love hearing when our men know they're wrong."

"I'm sure getting her some small trinket wouldn't be completely amiss," Mycroft said.

"What says, 'Baby, I screwed up and you're the only woman I want'?"

"Roses," Sherlock said. "Red ones, at least a dozen."

"Red roses are enough if all you are saying is 'I love you,'" Molly said. "Try to make it a little more personal."

"I guess I'm going to the nearest florist."

* * *

Anthea was curled in a fetal position on the guestroom bed, trembling. She'd had her fit of temper, the mess she'd made in the sitting room was testament to that, and she'd had her crying fit, the pillow beneath her head was still soaked. Now she was out of tears and out of anger, but not out of pervasive thoughts.

 _What if he decides he'd rather be with her? She's just like him, they're the same. He and I are nothing alike. If they had children, their children would be campions too. We don't know what our children would be. I should've told him about Lady Elizabeth's concerns. Or perhaps not – he definitely won't want me then._

 _God… I should just go back. Maybe Lady Elizabeth can find another position for me._ She sniffled. _I know he slept with Nimue. Maybe if I told him I didn't want to wait until we were married…_

She groaned quietly. _Listen to me! I'm willing to throw away my future over a man. The handsomest, kindest, most wonderful man I've ever known, but also the stubbornest, blindest, most thoughtless man I've ever known. I love him. I can't stand him right now, but I still love him. I always will. And that's why I can't go back to Heaven while he lives._

There was a hesitant knock on the door. "Anthea? Baby?"

"Go away, Myrddin," she muttered, her voice raw.

"I can't, not until we talk about this."

"There's nothing to talk about."

"I thought angels weren't supposed to lie."

 _He did not just say that!_ She got up and threw open the door, finding Myrddin smirking at her. She glared at him. "Go find Nimue if you want to be with her so much." Her voice was so strained that new tears came to her eyes.

His expression changed to one of contrition. "I'm so sorry, Anthea. I was so caught up in my anger at Nimue that I wasn't thinking clearly." He gently took her hands. "The feelings I had for her died a long time ago. You're the only woman I want and I'm an ass for making you doubt that for even a moment."

Anthea swallowed hard. "Yes, you are," she said quietly, not meeting his eyes.

"Baby, look at me," he said softly.

She raised her eyes to his, a tear falling down her face.

"I love you, Anthea. You, not Nimue or anyone else. I know I don't deserve you," he smiled weakly, "but if you could maybe accept me anyway, I'll do everything in my power to ensure your happiness for the rest of our lives."

"I…" She coughed. "You can't promise we'll never fight again. Or that you'll never break my heart again. You said that the last time you upset me."

"You're right, but I can promise I'll always be there to mend your heart. For every time I make you cry, I promise there'll be a million more times I make you smile." He raised their joined hands and kissed both of hers. "You're everything to me, Anthea."

"I … I need some water."

"I'm an idiot, you're probably dehydrated."

"And my throat is sore…"

"C'mon, I'll take care of you and you can listen to me continue to try to remove my foot from my mouth."

She giggled weakly, wincing and he led her to the sitting room. "I, um, see you cleaned up my mess." She had left the room in shambles.

Myrddin smiled a bit. "You needed to get you frustration out. I just wish cleaning up my mess was as easy."

He had her sit on the sofa then he went into the kitchen and made tea. She stared at the bouquet on the table – red roses, white lilies, and baby's breath in a glass vase.

"Tea with honey and lemon, just the thing for sore throats." Myrddin looked over at her, smiling a bit. "Ah, you found your flowers. They made me think of you. Baby's breath, you're my baby. Red roses, you're my one true love. And you smell like lilies, so…"

"They're beautiful, Myrddin. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm going to pamper you all day, you deserve it."

When they were both settled on the sofa, Myrddin wrapped his arm around her. After a moment, Anthea leaned against him, sipping her tea.

"There are a lot of things you haven't told me," she murmured. "Your past, what you can see us doing after the wedding. You can start with either of those."

He chuckled. "Easiest one first – after the wedding, I'm taking you to the most luxurious destination I can find and making love to you for days."

Anthea felt her cheeks redden and she couldn't help smiling. "What does the destination matter if-"

"If we never leave the room?" Myrddin smirked. "A nice view outside the bedroom window? But seriously, I want to take you someplace nice. It'll be a chance to get away from everything, and everyone, for a while." He softly kissed the top of her head. "Speaking of everyone, I'm glad we buried the hatchet with Mycroft. Now that he's just my straight-laced uncle instead of our sworn enemy, I really think I should help him win Sally's heart."

"What makes you think he hasn't already?"

"He'd be a hell of a lot happier. Hmm, maybe I should invite both of them to a pub – 'liquid courage' might be just the thing he needs." Her disbelieving look made him chuckle. "Yeah, I can't picture him drinking anything but tea either. I'd lock them in a small room but they're already sharing her flat and it hasn't helped any."

"Are you spying on them?"

"No need – everything he's feeling is pretty damn obvious, despite the trouble he's going through to look blasé. Except for when I was in that damn tree and didn't have a choice, I only spy on people when there's a genuine need."

"Perhaps Mycroft isn't the one you should be talking to."

"You're saying Sally needs to make the first move?" At her nod, he looked thoughtful. "That could work. I'll talk to her. I need to apologize to her anyway."

* * *

Sally was just heading out the door for lunch when her phone rang. She raised an eyebrow when she saw the display then she pressed the button. "Yeah?"

"Hi, Sally," Myrddin said. "I, um, want to apologize for last night. I was a jerk. You had every right to bring Mycroft."

"Glad you're seeing things my way," Sally said, smiling a bit as she walked to her car. "I know things aren't great between the two of you-"

"Actually, we buried the hatchet, so everything's cool now."

Sally blinked in surprise. "Oh. Well, that's good, then."

She could hear the smirk in his voice. "Yeah, Mycroft became a little more human. And that leads to the other reason why I'm calling."

"Which is?" she asked warily.

"Is he human enough for you?"

"I'm sorry?"

Myrddin chuckled. "If he were too much of an angel, you wouldn't be attracted to him. So, I'll ask again – is he human enough for you?"

"Just a minute." Sally waited until she was in her car before answering. "Myrddin, I like you, you're a nice guy, most of the time, but you really don't know what I like."

"Enlighten me."

"I saw Mycroft's angelic form the night Molly was kidnapped. I shouldn't have been able to, so it was kinda a shock for both of us. Myrddin, if you repeat what I'm about to say, I will kill you and make it look like an accident."

"Your secret is safe with me, Sally," he said, and she could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Before that moment, I was attracted to his intelligence. I've always had a weakness for snark."

"And at that moment?" he prompted.

She took a deep breath. "At that moment, I thought he was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen in my _life_." The last word was a whisper. "Then we started talking about sex and relationships and I realized how vulnerable and lonely he is."

"So, you're not turned off by him being an angel?" His grin came through crystal clear.

Sally rolled her eyes, smiling a bit. "Definitely not turned off."

"Then do something about it. If you wait for him to make the first move, you'll be waiting until Doomsday."

"I've been flirting with the guy since we met but no dice – he told me he sees sex outside of marriage as immoral. There's no way he's going to give in unless I put a ring on it. And no, I'm not marrying him just so we can shag."

"Would a quickie marriage really be a bad thing?"

"I'll leave the whirlwind romances to you and Sherlock."

"Why not continue the family tradition?"

Sally rolled her eyes again. "Hanging up now."

Myrddin chuckled. "Bye, Sally."

"Bye, Myrddin."

When she walked into her flat, she found Mycroft dozing on the sofa. His dove grey suit jacket was draped over the back of one of the dining room chairs, the sleeves of his white dress shirt were rolled up, and his royal blue silk tie was on the coffee table.

Sally couldn't help gazing at him, then she shook her head a bit and smirked. "You know," she said, just loudly enough to wake him with a start, "most people don't lounge around the house in a three-piece suit."

"That's why I took one piece off," Mycroft said as he sat up.

"You spent all that money on clothes and didn't buy a single pair of jeans?"

"No, should I have?"

She rolled her eyes. "Tomorrow, you're going shopping."

"Again?"

"This time, I'm coming with you and you're getting clothes that don't have to be dry-cleaned."

"How … novel."

She smiled a bit. "I just spoke to Myrddin, he said you made up."

Mycroft stood and stretched, making Sally wonder why the room suddenly felt warmer. He raised an eyebrow at her. "We did, I made up with Anthea as well. Did he apologize to you?"

"Yeah." She grinned. "I won't tell you what else he said."

He raised an eyebrow. "Knowing my nephew, it was likely lewd, rude, and crude."

Sally laughed. "Something like that, yeah. So, lunch?" She held up the bag of fish and chips she was holding.

His stomach rumbled. "Excellent timing, as always."

* * *

They ate at her small patio set on the fire escape, enjoying the sunshine.

"I've been meaning to ask you, did you do what you said you were going to?" he asked curiously.

"Depends – what did I say I was going to do?" Sally asked carefully.

"Find someone for the 'most straight-laced person on the planet?'"

"Oh, that…" She smiled a bit. "Sorry, Mycroft, but the only person I'm willing to inflict you on is myself."

"You make me sound like a weapon." He looked torn between impressed and insulted.

Sally chuckled. "Don't get me started."

Mycroft wondered, as he wiped his hands with a napkin for the umpteenth time, how simple food could be so messy. He was about to ask Sally for another napkin when he saw her licking the grease off her fingers. His bespoke trousers suddenly felt too tight and he knew, absolutely knew, his face was red.

"Need something, Mycroft?" Sally asked, apparently unaware of his current predicament.

"Er, yes, another napkin, please."

She passed him another one then her gaze landed on his crotch. Part of him was relieved when she started blushing almost as much as he was.

"Mycroft, do you want to-" The alarm on her phone went off – it was time for her to go back to work.

 _Saved by the bell,_ he thought, relieved.

"This conversation isn't over," she said firmly. She stood up but he remained seated. "We need to talk about us. Tonight."

"If we must," he sighed.

Sally leaned down to kiss him. Mycroft felt his mind stutter to a complete halt as soon as her lips touched his. Before he had a chance to kiss her back, she broke the kiss and straightened, taking what he noticed to be a slightly unsteady step back.

"We must," she said, grinning at him.

As soon as Sally left, Mycroft texted Sherlock.

 _1:03p It seems I am in need of advice from you, little brother. M_

 _1:04p I'm almost afraid to ask but what the hell, I'm bored. What do you need? S_

 _1:07p How does one enter into a romantic relationship? M_

 _1:08p This is the kind of topic that is better discussed in person. S_

 _1:11p I'm on my way. M_

When he walked into his brother and sister-in-law's flat for the second time that day, he was pleased to see that it was otherwise unoccupied. "Where is everyone?" he asked, more out of politeness than actual interest.

Sherlock smiled a bit. "Myrddin is still making it up to Anthea across the hall, Molly is having lunch with a friend from work. You're free to speak your mind, not that having other people around ever prevented you."

The brothers sat down across from each other at the peninsula, Sherlock with a cup of coffee and Mycroft with a cup of tea.

"So," Sherlock said, smirking, "the angel has come to ask the incubus about relationship advice."

Mycroft rolled his eyes. "If you're going to be smug about it, I'll leave."

"I'm sorry, I'll behave." The mischief in his eyes belied his words.

"This isn't an angel asking an incubus, this is a single man asking his married brother."

"So, ask."

Mycroft took a deep breath. "Sally wants us to date."

"I don't see a problem with that," Sherlock said, sipping his coffee.

"I will only be on Earth for a year before my ultimate fate will be decided. To have the fate I truly feel I deserve, I must remain above … certain intimacies."

"Sex," Sherlock said bluntly. "You are allowed to say it, Mycroft." He smirked. "I promise, there will be no bolt out of the blue."

Mycroft rolled his eyes. "Sex. How can I enter into a relationship with Sally if I cannot satisfy her?"

"Let's call a spade a spade – unless there's something wrong with your equipment, it's not that you cannot satisfy her, it's that you refuse to."

"What does it matter how I say it?"

"The words you use affect how you think, and vice versa. Say it like it is."

"Fine – how can I enter into a relationship with Sally if I refuse to satisfy her?" Mycroft frowned. "That makes it sound like I'm being malicious."

"Exactly," Sherlock said, grinning triumphantly. He got up to refill his coffee.

"I'm not doing it to be cruel," Mycroft said. "It's a moral issue." When Sherlock didn't say anything, he sighed. "It was easy for you, you didn't care about the consequences."

"Not true," Sherlock said as he carried his now-full cup back to the peninsula and sat down. "I knew I was going to be trapped in Hell after I died, I simply wanted my life to be worth the trip. After I got to know Molly, in the back of my mind, I knew that what I had with her would end with her death. She'd go to Heaven and I knew I'd still end up in Hell. I'll admit it, that hurt." He smiled a bit. "When she told you she wants to make me fit for Heaven, I knew everything would be alright."

"If I ignore the consequences, I would also be destined for Hell. As attracted as I am to Sally, even she is not worth the risk."

"There's always the other option."

Mycroft raised an eyebrow. "And that would be?"

"It's not sex that is the issue, it's pre-marital sex." He smirked. "Therefore, all you have to do is marry Sally."

Images flashed in his mind – himself and Sally in front of a priest, Sally sliding a wedding band onto his finger, Sally beaming at him. He dragged his mind back to the real world before he started seeing images of his would-be honeymoon. "It would be impossible for me to marry Sally – again, I'm only going to be on Earth for a year."

"Ah, but if you married Sally and showed the Elders you're a changed man, don't you think they'd let you stay with her?"

 _Like they did for Portia and her husband,_ his unhelpful mind supplied. "I'm not willing to delay Heaven to spend a lifetime with Sally."

"You won't risk Hell by sleeping with her, you won't delay Heaven by marrying her, what are you willing to do?"

"Not much, it seems." At Sherlock's expectant look, he went on. "Perhaps this is a bad idea. I could move in here. Your guestroom is available, is it not?"

"Only until Molly's nesting instincts kick in and we make it the nursery. That'll be before your year is up." Sherlock smiled a bit. "I'd hate to kick you out. No, wait, I wouldn't."

Mycroft rolled his eyes again. "What do I do?"

Sherlock smirked. "I'm going to go with the oldest relationship cliché known to man – follow your heart."

"And when it comes to satisfying Sally?"

"There's more than one way to satisfy a woman, and I don't just mean sexually." Sherlock gestured towards the rest of the kitchen. "This is the other room where I satisfy my wife."

"I really don't need details about your sex life, Sherlock," Mycroft muttered.

Sherlock chuckled. "I mean I also cook for her. I can teach you how to cook and clean. If you satisfy her in the kitchen, it won't matter as much what happens in the bedroom."

"I'll cook but I refuse to clean."

"You'll clean the kitchen at least, if you want to stay on her good side."

Mycroft sighed heavily. "Very well, teach me."

* * *

Sally spent the rest of the day with the kiss at the forefront of her thoughts. She couldn't stop grinning. _He can deny it all he wants but I have solid, heh, physical evidence that he wants me._

"Well, somebody's happy," Greg said, smiling, as he approached her desk at the end of the day. "Did you get a raise I wasn't aware of?"

"Better," she said. "I'm actually getting somewhere with Mycroft."

"Then I won't get in your way," he said, grinning. "Enjoy your weekend."

"I intend to. You enjoy yours, Greg." Sally grabbed her things and was out the door in record time. She had no idea what to expect from Mycroft when she got home, but the dining room table set for two, with a single lavender rose in a crystal vase Sally didn't remember owning, was a big clue. There was no sign of Mycroft, then she realized the shower was running.

She was tempted, really tempted to join him but decided neither of them were ready for that yet. Instead, she went into the bedroom and changed into a sleeveless navy blue maxi dress. She left the bedroom just as Mycroft emerged from the bathroom, clad in only his burgundy silk dressing gown.

He blushed brightly when he saw her. "Oh, Sally, I … er … must have misjudged the time. I wasn't expecting you for another hour at least."

"Clearly," she said, amused.

He looked her over and she could see the disappointment in his eyes. "You look lovely. You're going out, yes?"

She grinned at him. "Nope, staying in tonight – my favorite angel and I have something to discuss."

His blush deepened to the color of his dressing gown. "Er, yes. I'll just…" He trailed off as he walked into the bedroom and closed the door behind him.

Sally couldn't resist teasing him. "I saw the table," she said through the closed door. "You really thought I'd go out after seeing that?"

"I, er, just assumed…"

"Assumed what?" Sally's grin was ear-to-ear.

"Assumed you had last-minute dinner plans."

 _This is just too easy._ "What made you think I had plans?"

"It's Friday night, you're an attractive woman, and this is the first time I've seen you in a dress."

"If I had other plans, I would've told you." She waited for him to open the door before she added, "But really, if someone else had asked me out, I would've declined."

"Our … discussion is that important to you?"

" **You're** that important to me, Mycroft." She started to walk to the dining room but Mycroft's hand on her arm stopped her. She turned to look at him.

"Sally … thank you. I've never been … important to someone who wasn't family before."

She smiled softly. "You're welcome."

* * *

Dinner was roasted pork and potatoes. When Sally asked where he learned to cook, he said simply, "Sherlock."

Sally grinned. "Am I going to get a Sherlock-trained chef of my very own?"

Mycroft chuckled. "That's the idea, yes. My brother showed me how to make this after lunch. I decided I need to make myself useful."

"Never said you weren't." Her grin widened. "Eye candy doesn't need to be useful."

He could neither stop his blush nor the pleased smile that spread across his face. "Sally, I-"

"Yes?" she asked, still grinning.

"I believe we should have that discussion now."

"I was wondering when we'd get to that." She reached across the table to take his hand. "I know you're putting restrictions on yourself. I don't agree with them but I will respect them. However far you want to, or not want to, take this is okay with me."

 _This damn blush isn't going away any time soon, is it?_ He looked down at their hands. "I … appreciate that, Sally, greatly, but I don't want to leave you … unsatisfied."

He looked up when she didn't say anything for a moment and caught her assessing him. She gave him a soft smile.

"You're worried I'll find satisfaction with someone else if I don't find it with you," she said. It wasn't a question.

"To be honest, yes."

"One, I would never do that to you and two," she smiled a bit, "I'm perfectly capable of satisfying myself if I need to."

He blinked in surprise. _She cares that much?_ "Sally, I don't de-"

"Mycroft Holmes, I swear to God, if you say you don't deserve me, you're back to sleeping on the sofa."

 _She's beautiful when she's exasperated._ He chuckled. "Truly, a fate worse than death." At her expectant look, he sobered. "I'll always feel like I don't deserve you."

"Why? You're not the 'homewrecker' wanting to date an angel, I am."

"Disgraced angel," he corrected her. "You're the one with infinite patience." At her unladylike snort, he smiled a bit. "You are. Perhaps that comes from Portia. I asked Myrddin, he looked at your family's past and confirmed that it is Portia who was your angelic ancestor."

"Good to know." She smiled a bit. "But that still doesn't let you off the hook." She gently squeezed his hand. "Let's just agree that we deserve each other."

He looked down at their hands for a moment then back up at her. "I … believe that is acceptable."

She grinned at him. "So, now that we're officially in a relationship, we need to discuss boundaries."

"Er, yes. Suffice it to say, sex of any kind is not permissible."

She smiled a bit. "So you're saying no penetrative sex, blow-" She was stopped by her brand-new boyfriend's finger over her mouth. Sally raised an eyebrow at him, her mouth grinning beneath his finger when she saw he was blushing.

"Forgive me," he murmured as he removed his hand from her mouth, "but I can't even bring myself to discuss the details. If it involves one of us having an orgasm, assume it's not permissible."

"Got it."

He smiled a bit. "Kissing, however, is permissible."

She grinned. "Good, I plan on doing a lot of that with you."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry about the extended hiatus, dear readers. Things just got in the way, but I hope this was worth the wait.

* * *

Molly woke up Saturday morning to the sight of a sleeping cat on top of a sleeping husband. She smiled to herself then grabbed her mobile.

"Do it and no sex for a week," Sherlock murmured, smirking with his eyes still closed, just after she took a photo.

She smirked, saying playfully, "Like you can go that long, sex demon."

Sherlock opened his eyes and grinned at her. "I can go as long as I need to."

Molly leaned to kiss him softly. "Alright, fine, but do you really want to?"

"I won't have to if my beloved wife doesn't show the world my sweet side." He reached up to stroke Devil's head and the little cat purred.

She grinned. "Oh, so only I get to see it?"

"Of course." Sherlock reached over to touch her stomach. "You and the baby. Good morning, Baby Girl Holmes." He gently pulled Molly down for a kiss. "Good morning, Mrs. Holmes."

Molly smiled softly. "Good morning, Mr. Holmes." She settled down next to him, her head on his shoulder. "We should think of a name, we can't call her Baby Girl Holmes forever."

Sherlock smiled. "Love, we have thirty-eight weeks, plenty of time."

She smiled a bit. "Uh huh. The time will fly by, just you watch." She turned her head to softly kiss his shoulder. "What did you want to do today?"

He chuckled. "By 'what,' I think you mean 'who,' and the answer is always you."

"Mmm, good answer, but is that all you want to do?"

"We are still on our honeymoon, Molly." He kissed her hair. "I'm not inside you right now only because I'm being held captive by a five-pound cat."

Molly chuckled then gently picked up Devil and set him on the floor. She grinned at her husband. "Better?"

"Much." He gently pushed her onto her back then kissed her deeply as his hand moved between her legs.

She kissed him back, moaning into his mouth, her hands coming up to clutch his shoulders. Sherlock kissed her chin, starting a line down her body, pausing to give special attention to each breast. At her stomach, he smiled a bit.

"Right now would be an excellent time to take a nap, Baby Girl. You don't want to hear what your parents are about to do." He softly kissed her stomach.

Molly smiled softly. "I don't think she can hear yet, sexy, so nothing to worry about there."

He grinned up at her then kissed his way down her stomach, making Molly squirm. She was about to ask him to get on with it already when she felt his tongue on her clit.

"Oh God…" she moaned, her hips jerking.

"Nope," Sherlock murmured, his breath warm on her flesh, "just a fallen angel seeking grace."

"Grace! That's it!" Molly said excitedly.

Sherlock raised his head, confused. "What?"

"Her name! We'll call her Grace!"

He groaned quietly. "Molly, we're on our honeymoon, I had my head between your lovely legs, and you're thinking about baby names?"

"What do you mean?" Molly was just as confused. "I've been thinking about what I'd name our baby since you proposed." She quickly wriggled her legs out of his hold then got up and pulled on her dressing gown.

Sherlock stared at her, dumbfounded. "Molly…"

"I've got to text Mary, she'll know what will work as a middle name." Phone in hand, she was about to walk away from the bed when she felt a hand on her shoulder then she was spun around and held tightly to her husband's chest. She would've protested but her lips were very much occupied by his. Molly melted in his arms, Sherlock's kiss, as always, leaving her weak in the knees and incredibly wet.

Sherlock murmured in her ear, "I'm afraid you leave me no choice, Molly, I'm going to have to take you just like this." He lowered her to the plush carpet, the white silk dressing gown still tied around her waist.

Molly wrapped her legs around his waist, murmuring, "I have no objections, Sherlock." She grinned up at him.

He chuckled. "I thought you wouldn't." He lowered his head to kiss her deeply, one arm around her while the other hand guided his cock to her entrance.

"Oh God, fill me, Sherlock," she murmured. "Now."

"As you command, my love." He slid into her fully, both of them groaning from the pleasure of it. Sherlock had both arms around her and buried his face in her neck as he started to take her hard and fast.

Molly clutched at his shoulders, her heels digging into his arse. "Just like that…" She moaned his name as her pleasure built. Sherlock nipped her shoulder and Molly started to come hard.

Sherlock groaned loudly as her walls squeezed him, triggering his own climax. His seed filled her then he laid his head on her shoulder, utterly spent.

Molly reached up to stroke his curls as her breathing slowed. "To think that I can reduce an incubus with centuries of experience to a breathy, shuddering mess, well, that certainly helps my ego."

He chuckled softly, his breath soft and warm against her neck. "I've had centuries of experience, yes, but not with someone I love. Making love is different."

"Mmm, tell me more, husband," she murmured, smiling.

"When I'm with you, I put my heart and soul into it. I want to give you all the pleasure I can, not to show off but because I want to show you just how much I love you."

She kissed his hair. "You always do, Sherlock. I have no doubts of how much I mean to you, or how much I arouse you."

"Mmm… Something else to help your ego – no other woman I've been with has turned me on nearly as much or as often as you." He paused then lifted his head to look at her, smiling apologetically. "Did that come out right?"

Molly smiled back lovingly. "Yes, Sherlock. It's just what I needed to hear."

* * *

Saturday afternoon found Mycroft and Sally in the men's department of a clothing store at the mall. She was trying to get him to try on different pairs of jeans, he was trying to avoid the garments in question entirely.

"You've got to try on something, Mycroft," Sally said, exasperated. "We're not leaving until you pick out at least two pairs of jeans."

"Then I hope you are prepared for a long wait," he said, smirking. Mycroft leaned to murmur in her ear, "I've had four thousand years to perfect my obstinateness, my dear. You, despite all your charms, will not defeat me." He softly kissed her cheek before he straightened, still smirking at her.

The wicked grin Sally gave him made him wonder if he hadn't badly misjudged the situation. "Oh, Mycroft, you haven't seen all my charms yet," she purred, one fingertip slowly running from the bottom of his waistcoat to the knot in his tie. "Pick out some jeans and I'll show you what I bought at Victoria's Secret while you were looking at brollies."

Mycroft simultaneously felt his cheeks flush and his mouth go dry at the possibilities that flooded his mind. "I … er … don't think that would be appropriate…"

"Not in the middle of the store, no," her eyes twinkled, "but in our bedroom tonight? Definitely appropriate."

 _ **Our**_ _bedroom?_ He was about to point out her slip when he noticed a familiar couple walking towards them. Mycroft groaned. _Can I not have one moment alone with her?_

"Hi," Molly said, smiling brightly. "Fancy meeting you two here." She and Sherlock each held multiple shopping bags from various stores.

Sally grinned. "Hi. Thought you two would be holed up in your bedroom, what with you going back to work on Monday."

Molly giggled and Mycroft decided not to comment on the slight blush on her cheeks, or the barest hint of color on his brother's.

"Molly decided that we needed a few things," Sherlock said, smiling a bit. "A few turned into a few dozen."

Molly grinned at her him. "You bought as much as I did, Sherlock."

"Did I?" Sherlock asked, feigning innocence. He looked down at the bags he held then back at her, grinning. "I suppose I did." He looked at the pairs of jeans Sally was holding then smirked at Mycroft. "You're fighting a losing battle there, brother mine. Best concede now and pray she goes easy on you."

Mycroft glanced at the jeans then at Sally. "I fear my _inamorata_ is in a take-no-prisoners mood."

"Your fears are justified," she said, grinning, as she held out the jeans to him and tilted her head to the side. "Dressing room's that way."

With a resigned sigh, he took the jeans and headed towards the dressing room.

* * *

As soon as he left, Sally beamed. "Did you hear what he called me?"

"His girlfriend, in Italian," Molly said, almost as happy.

"First time he's said something like that in public, and to family, no less! This could actually work."

"Of course it'll work," Sherlock said, smirking. "He's completely smitten with you. Now if you could just get him off his high horse."

"I decided to respect his choice. If he changes his mind, great! If not, well," she smiled a bit, "let's just say I'm hoarding batteries."

Molly snickered. "What was it you were saying about Victoria's Secret when we came over?"

"Victoria's Secret? Wouldn't wearing skimpy lingerie around him be playing dirty?" Sherlock asked, smirking.

Sally smiled a bit. "I wouldn't exactly call this skimpy." She opened the bag and showed them the lace-edged rose satin camisole and shorts set. "The important bits are covered."

"Still, it might be just the spark you need to light his fire," Sherlock said.

"I just didn't want to wear my threadbare cotton pajamas while I'm sharing the bed with my boyfriend." She looked up as he approached them. "Or should I say _inamorato_?"

"Whichever word you feel comfortable with," Mycroft said. He held one pair of jeans. "I settled on this pair." He smiled a bit. "Is that sufficient for you?"

"Nope," she said, grinning. "You settled on a style, but you've only got one color, blue. Get a black pair too then we'll be done."

He rolled his eyes but did as he was told.

* * *

Anthea was in the sitting room, watching a documentary about social customs when her fiancé came in, muttering to himself. She paused the show and smiled up at him slightly. "Hello, Myrddin. Still getting nowhere with Devil?"

He looked up and smiled weakly when he saw her. "Hi, baby. I wish it were something that easy. I'm trying to find ways that Nimue can be defeated." He sat down next to her.

"Are you certain it was her? Why would she want to contend with you when she knows you're more powerful?'

"She knows I have weaknesses now – you, my family and friends, and now Arthur. My king is safe, thankfully. As much as I'd like to, I can't send the rest of you to Avalon. It's only open to those that need healing."

"None of us would agree to go anyway."

He smiled a bit. "That's the other problem. Almost everyone can take care of themselves, except Mycroft and Molly. He's never fought, has he?"

"No. He refused to fight in the angelic civil war, and has avoided all physical conflicts since."

"Will you teach him?"

Anthea raised an eyebrow. "I … suppose. Sally might be a better choice, though."

"I'll talk to them. As for Molly, she's under angelic and demonic protection, but I think some magical protection won't hurt either." He reached up and pulled a large, leather-covered book out of thin air then started flipping through it.

"Spellbook?" she asked.

"Yeah. I've learned, and created, thousands of spells, I need something to keep them all straight." He started reading, chuckling to himself every so often.

She could tell he would be lost in the book for a while so she started the documentary again, smiling to herself when he wrapped an arm around her shoulders as he read.

* * *

That night, Mycroft was washing dishes when he heard Sally come into the kitchen. He looked up and nearly dropped both his jaw and the dish he was holding. As it was, his thought process was reduced to the simplest words. _Legs. Long legs. Arms. Skin. So much skin. Lovely skin. Soft skin. Kissable skin._

Sally grinned. "I thought you'd like it."

 _Am I blushing again, or did she turn up the thermostat?_ "Er … yes … perhaps too much." Her face fell and Mycroft felt like kicking himself. He quickly finished the dishes then dried his hands before reaching for hers. "To be fair, you could make a burlap sack incredibly alluring."

Sally laughed softly. "Thanks, I think." She softly kissed his cheek. "I really didn't buy this to get you hot and bothered. I wanted something nice to wear to bed, but if it gets you too worked up, I can put something else on."

Mycroft watched her for a moment, smiling fondly. "You truly are too good for me."

Sally rolled her eyes. "Don't start that again, Mike."

He raised an eyebrow. "Mike?"

She grinned. "Mike. Mikey. C'mon, with a name like Mycroft, you've got to have a nickname."

"No one has ever dared." He gave her his most intimidating look.

Sally just grinned wider. "Even when you were growing up?"

"Angels are full-grown when they're created. Our first year is spent developing mentally and emotionally, then we are considered as mature and ready for responsibilities as any older angel."

"So, no childhood and only a year of being young?" Sally asked sympathetically. "Sounds awful."

"It's not, at least not when you don't know any other way." He smiled a bit. "To me, childhood seems strange, and adolescence seems like, frankly, several years of awkward, hormonal hell."

Sally laughed. "It basically is. But there are some good things too."

"Such as?"

"Your first kiss with someone you fancy." She kissed him softly. "Snogging in the backseat of a car."

He raised an eyebrow. "That sounds more uncomfortable than enjoyable."

She shrugged. "It usually was, but when a teenager's hormones are raging, it's hard to notice much else." She smiled fondly. "Being in love for the first time. Or the fiftieth, really."

 _And what number am I?_ Mycroft wondered. He almost gave voice to his thoughts then decided it would put her on the spot and that wasn't his intention. "What were you like as a teenager?"

Sally smiled a bit. "Skinny, all limbs until I was fifteen, then my figure filled out. I was a tomboy until uni, then my roommate showed me how much fun it could be to be girly and have all the boys chase you. But in my teen years, you could always find me on the pitch, in a pool, or up a tree. Drove my mother mad. 'Sarah Maude Donovan, get down from that tree right now!'" She giggled at her own impression.

Mycroft smiled a bit. "Sarah?"

She blushed slightly. "Um, yeah, my real name is Sarah. I started going by Sally when I was five. The only people who ever call me Sarah are my parents, and only when I'm in trouble."

"And when is that?"

She smirked. "Last time was a couple of years ago, when I brought a Conservative MP home for dinner."

He chuckled. "We've gotten off-topic."

"Yeah, do want me to change?"

"No. It'll take a Herculean effort on my part but to be honest, you look lovely and confident in that and I would hate to take that from you."

She beamed at him. "Thank you, Mycroft."

"You're welcome, my dear."

That night, Mycroft watched as Sally slept. _It's hard enough to fight my own desires, but to fight mine and hers? Exhausting._ He sighed quietly. _Would giving in really be such a bad thing?_ His fingers idly played with her curls as he prayed for guidance.

The next day, Sunday, Mycroft woke to the sensation of a feather-light kiss on his nose. He chuckled. "Good morning, my dear." He opened his eyes to see Sally grinning down at him.

"Morning. I would've let you sleep longer but we have a visitor."

He raised an eyebrow. "Do I want to know who?"

"I don't think it's a 'want,' more of a 'need' – it's Dimmock."

Mycroft groaned quietly then glanced at the clock on his nightstand. "It's only half-past seven in the morning. Can't you ask him to come back at a decent hour?"

"He said he needed to see you before he went to work."

He sighed heavily. "Very well…" He reluctantly got out of bed and pulled his dressing gown on over his pajamas, noting that Sally also had hers on. "Did you happen to buy anything else at Victoria's Secret?"

She smirked. "No, but I could. Tell you what – be nice to Dimmock and anyone else we might run into this week and I'll go on a shopping spree."

"A week on my best behavior?" Mycroft asked. "You're asking an awful lot of me, my dear."

Sally grinned. "Victoria's Secret, Mike."

"You're the only person who can get away with calling me that," he said, smiling a bit, "but please, only in private. I have a reputation to protect, after all."

"Uh huh." She kissed his cheek then led the way to the sitting room.

Dimmock was sitting on the sofa but stood up as soon as they came in. Mycroft groaned inwardly at the younger angel's smirk.

"I take it this isn't a social call, Captain," he said.

"I'm here at Lady Elizabeth's behest."

"I gathered that. What does she want?"

"She has sent me to ensure that you are, as she put it, 'behaving yourself and not falling back on bad habits.'" Dimmock eyed their pajamas. "Looks like I got here just in time."

"Nothing happened," Mycroft said, more forcefully than he meant to.

"If you want to go back to Heaven, make sure it stays that way. I'll check on you periodically."

"Next time, Dimmock, could you do it at a decent hour?" Sally asked, annoyed.

"I can't make any promises," Dimmock said, smiling a bit. "Sorry, Sally. I'll see myself out."

As soon as he was gone, Mycroft sat on the sofa, his head in his hands. He couldn't help flinching when he felt Sally put her hand on his shoulder as she sat down beside him.

"Hey," she said softly. "Don't be like that, talk to me."

After a moment, he lowered his hands but kept his eyes on them, his voice quiet. "Last night, I wanted nothing more than to take you in my arms and…" He trailed off. "I was torn. I prayed for guidance and what happens? Renatus comes and tells me to 'behave.' If that's not a clear sign that we shouldn't be involved, I don't know what is."

"Now just a minute," Sally said, annoyed, "you and I were doing just fine before Dimmock showed up. Yes, we're attracted to each other and yes, it's getting harder to keep our hands off each other but dammit, Mycroft, you're the most decent man I've ever met and I am **not** giving you up now."

"Sally-"

"If you say, 'this is for the best' or 'we're better off alone,' I swear to God, I'll kick your arse."

Mycroft managed a small smile. "That's a rather weak threat, coming from you. Not that you couldn't kick my arse."

"Yeah, well, really don't want to threaten my boyfriend." She took his hands in hers. "And you're still my boyfriend, Mycroft. I'm not letting you go that easily."

He looked down at their hands, sighing heavily. "I don't want to lose you, but I also cannot lose my only chance of returning home."

Sally was quiet for a full minute. Finally, she said quietly, "Would a home with me really be so bad?"

His head jerked up, his eyes meeting hers. "It's not that. When my time is over, I will either be in Heaven or Hell, there is no alternative."

"But Portia-"

"Was an exception. I cannot expect that the same courtesy would be extended to myself."

"You're saying that if you did have a choice, you'd stay with me?"

He took a deep breath. "I'm afraid-"

"Stop," she said firmly. "That's all I needed to hear." She pulled her hands away, glaring at him.

"Sally-"

"Save it, Mycroft. In case you haven't noticed, we've got a good thing going here. I thought we both wanted to see where it went, but I guess I was wrong."

She got up and stormed out of the room. Mycroft quickly got up and followed her. When she reached the bedroom, she turned in the doorway to glare at him.

"Unless you want to see me naked, I suggest you go back to the sitting room."

"Sally, please, let me explain."

She shut the door in his face.

He took a deep breath then spoke through the door. "Sally, you must understand that Heaven is the only home I have ever known. It's the only home I've ever wanted. Anthea can make a home on Earth because she wasn't satisfied with her life in Heaven, but I simply cannot see myself anywhere else."

There were several minutes of silence. Mycroft found himself becoming more and more tense with each passing moment. Finally, the door opened and he sighed with relief when he saw that she had simply gotten dressed, then he saw her face.

Sally glared at him. "I'm going out. I need a couple of hours away from you right now, Mycroft. While I'm gone, you need to decide what it is you want. If it's us, then we'll just go on as we have. But if it's not us, well, things are going to have to change dramatically."

"I … understand."

"I should bloody hope so." She sighed quietly then she kissed his cheek, her tone much softer. "In case it's not clear, I want us."

"It's clear," he said softly. "It's very clear. I must decide if I want the same."

* * *

Molly woke to the sound of her mobile ringing. She picked it up and glanced at the display. _Sally, and it's way too early for anyone to be calling on a Sunday._ Sighing quietly, she pushed the button. "Sally, if your first words aren't 'this is an emergency,' I'm hanging up right now."

"This is an emergency of the relationship sort."

"Is Mycroft okay?" she asked, sitting up in bed.

"Physically, yeah." Sally described what had happened with Dimmock and after.

Molly reached out to idly play with one curl of her sleeping husband's hair. "So, you and Mycroft had your first argument."

"Yeah. Now he's deciding our fate. God, I need chocolate."

She giggled. "Come on over, I'll see if I can get Sherlock to make chocolate pancakes."

"You're a lifesaver."

* * *

Sherlock listened to Molly talk to Sally with growing amusement. Making pancakes for the woman he was sure to be his future sister-in-law wasn't how he had planned to spend the last day of his honeymoon, but he knew it would make Molly happy. _And a happy Molly means a happy Sherlock,_ he thought, chuckling softly as Molly hung up.

"I knew you were awake," she murmured, grinning at him.

He sat up, grinning back. "No, you didn't."

"Are you okay with making breakfast?"

"I'm not thrilled at the idea of doing anything today that requires leaving this room, but I'll make an exception for family." He took her hand then kissed it softly. "Just promise you'll turn off your phone tonight."

She smiled a bit. "I can't, I have to work tomorrow."

He groaned quietly. "Why couldn't my brother and his girlfriend have their almost-lovers spat yesterday?"

Molly giggled. "Next time, we'll ask them to be more considerate of other people's sex lives when they can't see eye-to-eye."

Sherlock chuckled. "Should we invite Anthea and Mary to your Girls' Morning In or let them sleep?"

She smirked. "Ooo, Girls' Morning In, I like the sound of that. I'll text them." She got up and pulled on her pajamas and dressing gown.

"I suppose this means I need to put something on too," he said, smiling a bit.

Molly grinned at him. "As much as I'd love to see you wearing nothing but your Kiss The Cook apron, your bare bum is something only I get to witness."

"Perhaps we should save that for our anniversary."

"I'll hold you to that."

* * *

Anthea woke to the sound of her mobile chirping. She picked it up then grinned at Molly's invitation. _Breakfast with my friends, no men except Sherlock, does sound like fun, but I should see what Myrddin is doing first._ She got out of bed and pulled on her robe then went down the hall.

The master suite's door was closed, which meant he was still asleep. She knocked lightly. "Myrddin?"

There was a muffled sound then silence.

Anthea slowly opened the door and found Myrddin asleep on the bed. He was laying on his stomach, the sheet only coming up to his waist. She itched to run a hand over the muscles in his bare back then silently chided herself. _You have to behave, no matter how tempting he is._

As soon as she sat down on the edge of the bed, Myrddin murmured, his eyes still closed, "I'm not wearing pants."

She felt her cheeks warm but couldn't help smiling. "Where are your pajamas?"

He opened his eyes and grinned at her. "Would you believe they're all in the hamper?"

Anthea grinned back. "Coming from anyone else, yes. From you, not a bit."

Myrddin chuckled as he turned over, one hand keeping the sheet from slipping. He glanced at the clock on the nightstand. "It's early. I told you, people usually sleep in Sunday mornings."

"You did, and I was, but I received a text from Molly – she's invited me over for breakfast. Sally will be there, maybe Mary as well. Molly's calling it a Girls' Morning In. I'd like to go, but I wanted to know if you had any plans for breakfast."

"Nothing formal." He smiled gently. "You know they'll be talking about the men in their lives, right? And possibly their love lives. I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

Her face felt even warmer. "I, um, was hoping to learn from them."

"Ah." Myrddin's grin widened. "I'm always available if you want to test out their advice."

"I know, but I also know you're patient." She leaned to kiss him softly. "I love you."

"I love you too, baby. Say hi to everyone for me."

"I will." She grinned. "Perhaps Devil would like to come over, you can continue his training."

Myrddin chuckled. "That's a lost cause, but I'm sure Father would rather not have him underfoot with so many people at the flat."

"I'll ask them." Her eyes strayed to his lower half beneath the sheet.

He smiled a bit. "You're welcome to look as much as you like, of course, but since I'm trying to be a gentleman, maybe you should step outside so I can get dressed."

She dragged her eyes up to his face, her face flaming now. "Right, yes, of course." She leaned to kiss him softly then she got up and left the room, Myrddin's chuckles following her.

* * *

Molly, Sally, Mary, and Anthea watched from the peninsula as Sherlock made pancakes. Her husband made it look easy and she saw that as one more attractive thing about him.

Mary grinned. "Have you discovered all of his talents yet, Molly?"

Even with his back turned, Molly just knew Sherlock was smirking. "I'm always finding something new he's good at."

"Good?" Sherlock asked, mock-insulted, as he brought over the first plate and gave it to Sally.

"Exceptional," Molly said, grinning. "Masterful. Genius."

"Better," he murmured, then he kissed her cheek before going back to the stove.

Sally topped her pancakes with chocolate syrup then took a bite. "Mmm… Sherlock, your cooking gets better every time I try it."

Sherlock chuckled as he started on the next stack. "Thank you, Donovan."

"You're welcome."

"So," Molly said, "tell us what happened with Mycroft."

Sally's smile shifted to something harder. "He has to make a decision – Heaven, Hell, or me."

"You make a lifetime with you sound like Purgatory," Sherlock said.

"I don't think he'd even think it was that nice," Sally muttered. "Of course, there's no guarantee that they'd even let us stay together, but even if they did, Mycroft has made it pretty clear he would rather just go back to Heaven."

"Are you sure about that?" Molly asked. "He seemed pretty smitten at the store."

"That was yesterday." She told them about Dimmock's visit. "I told Mycroft he had to decide."

Sherlock laid a plate in front of Mary. "If it's any consolation, I've never seen my brother like this. I'm sure he'll choose you."

Sally looked at Anthea. "You've known him a long time, Anthea. What do you think?"

Anthea shifted a bit uncomfortably. "Mycroft is very much a man who believes in the status quo. For him, being forced out of Heaven, possibly permanently, is more than he can bear. It's not that he doesn't care about you. Living here for the rest of his life would be seen as losing what he sees as his rightful place. He feels he could never make a home here, never be happy."

"Then I'll prove him wrong," Sally said firmly just as Sherlock set a plate in front of Anthea.

"I'll help, just say the word," he said, grinning. "I love proving my brother wrong."

"Thanks, Sherlock."

"You're welcome." He made Molly's pancakes then while the ladies were eating, he texted his brother.

 _10:03a You really need to get your head out of your arse. S_

 _10:08a I take it Sally is there. M_

 _10:09a Correct. You should be begging her to let you spend the rest of your life with her. S_

 _10:14a You know nothing is ever that simple, Sherlock. M_

 _10:15a Bullshit. Get over here or you will lose her. And that for you would be worse than Hell. S_

 _10:19a How can I commit to her when my part of me will always long for home? M_

 _10:20a I think you're confused about where your home truly is. S_

Sally knew, absolutely knew that Sherlock was texting his brother and she was dying to know what Mycroft had to say for himself, but decided it could wait. She sipped her coffee then sighed overdramatically. "Enough about my romantic dilemma." She grinned. "So, four ladies," her grin widened as Sherlock came to stand beside his wife, coffee cup in hand, "and an incubus. Whatever shall we talk about?"

"S-E-X, of course," Sherlock said, smirking. "That is, unless the topic makes anyone uncomfortable."

Everyone looked at Anthea, who blushed a bit. "Um, no, that's fine. I actually was hoping to pick up some, er, pointers."

"Communication is key," Mary said without hesitation. "If you like something, or don't like something, tell him. Make sure he truly listens. That's how you learn each other."

"But Myrddin has experience, what else does he need to learn?"

"He may have experienced sex plenty of times," Molly said, "but he's never had sex with you. He doesn't know what turns you on, what positions you like, that kind of thing."

"But I don't know those things either."

"Then you'll learn together," Mary said. "Every couple, no matter how experienced either of them is, has to learn each other. That can take a lifetime."

"Don't get discouraged if things aren't perfect right away," Sally said, smiling a bit. "It's okay if sex is awkward and unsatisfying at first. It'll get better."

"I just don't want to disappoint him," Anthea said, looking down at her coffee.

Sherlock chuckled. "Anthea, my son worships the ground you walk on. Believe me, the only way you could disappoint him is by not being yourself."

Molly nodded. "Just relax and let things happen naturally. Your love and friendship will see you through even the most awkward parts." She smiled. "Just remember to keep your sense of humor. If you can't laugh in bed, there's something wrong." Sherlock kissed the top of her head and she beamed up at him.

Anthea smiled softly. "I'll remember that."


End file.
